Final Vision
by Iris Sweetheart
Summary: They have seen the face of terror and know what must be done. Yet there are unspoken words between them. This is their final battle against the great evil…a battle that must be won no matter what.
1. Return to Old Memories

_All Sonic characters © to Sega. Ergos (The Beast) is © to me._

Final Vision  
By: Iris Sweetheart

Event 1: Return to Old Memories  
_Ten years ago…it was right here. I pulled the trigger on your back and watched your helpless body fall to the ground…and then I had the audacity to do it again. To pull the trigger a second time. Right between your eyes the bullet went…and you were gone. Till this very day I still don't know why I did it._

"It was for the good of the world."

_Better yet, I still can't believe that I did it and I never thought I was able to do something so horrible._

"…Shadow."

_And at such a young age._

The wind blew by lightly brushing Amy's now wavy shoulder-length hair into her eyes. With gentle fingers she brushed away the few strands…and also a tear in her eye. Before her in the autumn sunrise was a blackened tree that had remained dead since the murder. Not surprised by the supernatural occurrence before her, Amy slowly knelt down at the base of the tree, a large bouquet of flowers in her arms. She leaned the floral collection against the tree's base and stared at it blankly.

"_How? How could this have happened?_" is all the hedgehog could ask herself.

Another breeze blew by forcing Amy to close her magenta jacket around her torso. With the sun still rising in the east, she felt it was time for her to leave before any curious wanderers noticed her presence at the old house. Ignoring the mud on her black low heel ankle boots, Amy trudged back through the autumn forest and exited out to what was once Shadow's backyard. The old Victorian house, suffering from more aging, was falling apart from its hanging shutters to its chipping roof tiles. The land it resided on was just as dead as she remembered it. Dried grass, decaying trees, and darkened earth that could grow no more. It was practically a miracle that the old structure was still standing. Yet despite the staying power the house displayed, it plagued Amy with too many horrific memories of giant beasts, a cold and uncaring Shadow, and the inevitable murder of the hero trapped in his own curse.

She hurried her pace not giving too much care to the drops of mud splattering on to her magenta pants. Eventually she ended up running around the house and to the front yard where her shimmering red motorcycle waited. Closer and closer she got, her hand reaching out for the matching red helmet that sat on top of her leather jacket. Just as her fingertips brazed the polished covering of the helmet, she suddenly stopped…and slowly grasped her chest with one hand. For some reason her heart was pounding and she was anxious. But about what? What could possibly excite Amy in such a dreary place?

Cautiously looking over her shoulder, almost as if she was ashamed to, Amy could see the Victorian house and wondered "_Just maybe…_"

"_I can't go back in there! I promised myself that I wouldn't!_" the voice within the hedgehog screamed at her.

Yet she looked back again this time turning her shoulders a bit.

"_No, no! Do not give into the pressure! Nothing good ever came from that house and nothing good ever will!_" Amy forced herself to face the motorcycle once more.

But then again there may be something inside for me. Something that might help me put all of this behind me.

"_Stop it, you hear me! You cannot go back into that house. It'll just take away another ten years from your life!_"

But what if I just--

"_No exceptions! Absolutely none!_"

Maybe just a peek through the window--

"_You have to beat this!_"

It's just a harmless house--

"_You are stronger than this!"_

No one's living in there--

"_You don't **have** to go in there! You don't have to go…_"

Inside.

Amy was finally inside the house after so long. Every step she took caused her emotions to fall deeper and deeper into an endless pit slowly fading away as her memories overtook her mind. Amy began to playback every moment she could remember, from the day she first awoke in the house to her last moments with Shadow. The good, the bad, and the terrifying eventually leaving her null of her emotions as her mind reached the inevitable event of murdering the heroic hedgehog. The gunshot shattered her ears and in an instant the young woman fell to her knees screaming at the top of her lungs "Redemption! Redemption!"

Her body trembled in fear as her panicked eyes watched beads of sweat splatter against the wooden floor. There Amy remained silently waiting for her heart to return to its normal pulse. Suddenly a breeze brushed by her hair; someone was standing before her. Immediately Amy's eyes shot up and stared into the dark hood of a cloaked stranger. She was startled, yelping as she quickly crawled backwards eventually pushing herself up and backing to the door.

"Leave me alone!" the pink hedgehog yelled at the stranger.

Silently the stranger moved towards her as if floating on thin air. Stumbling over herself, Amy backed into the door frantically feeling around for the doorknob. Finally the familiar shape of the metal object was in her hand so she attempted to open the door. It was locked causing Amy to blurt out a slew of curses.

"Dammit! What the hell!?" the hedgehog yelled angrily.

Harder she turned the doorknob to the point where she was ready to rip it right off the door. All the while the stranger floated closer to Amy, daring to reach out for her. She went into another panic, this time shouting incoherently and desperately trying to open the door. The cloaked figure drew closer, its sleeve slipping back to reveal a white skeletal hand. In an instant Amy scratched and yelled at the door insanely begging for it to open. Once again she placed her hand on the doorknob and to her hopes it was finally unlocked. Without any hesitation the hedgehog threw the door open and dashed out in a flash. The cloaked stranger stopped, glanced down his hand, and lowered it allowing the sleeve to conceal the limb.

Curiously the mysterious stranger approached the open door and watched Amy frantically throw on her motorcycle jacket. Just as the hedgehog raised her helmet above her head, a strange feeling jolted her heart…so she looked back towards the veranda. There in the doorframe was the hooded stranger possibly staring back at her. She could've fallen into a trance had it not been for her conscience yelling at her to leave. Slowly Amy put on the helmet and calmly climbed onto her bike. It started up with a roar and left the area while the cloaked stranger disappeared into the house, closing the door. As Amy made her way back into town, she couldn't stop the curious thoughts in her head.

"_Why? Why do I want to go back there?_" she wondered. "_And this feeling in my heart… where did it come from?_"

She wasn't sure of the answers, and she didn't want to go back for them either. Leaving that town for good was the best choice for her.


	2. Cream the Teenage Rabbit

Final Vision

Event 2: Cream the Teenage Rabbit  
_Was it a suppressed feeling that made my heart rush? That made me so anxious?_

Sceneries of flat lands that stretched out as far as the eye could see whizzed by in the reflection of Amy's helmet.

_It was scary…yet those emotions felt inviting as if I knew them from before._

Cars zoomed by her in the oncoming lane of the two-lane highway.

_I wish I knew where they came from…why they appeared so suddenly._

It was a thought and only a thought that would run through Amy's mind and leave like an unimportant piece of detail. The road ahead of her stretched into the rising sun; a sign of new beginnings. A return to her adventurous life with Sonic and the others. Her heart yearned for some kind of peril to befall her. A ten year silence was too much for the hedgehog who was once full of energy as a twelve-year-old. Plus, the time had come for her to stand on her own, to be her own hero and make her own stories happen.

"_Yeah…_" Amy thought. "_It's time. Time I became a hero in my own way an leave behind a legacy. Maybe not as big as Sonic's…but something that'll stay with me…help me grow._"

A spark suddenly lit up in her heart. The energetic flame had returned. Revving up her motorcycle, Amy sped off even faster eager for adventure to happen, for the road to turn, for--

**POW!!**

Her bike suddenly began sputtering and would not accelerate. Her speed dropped dramatically and the poor hedgehog was nearly forced off the road by the cars behind her. With no other options, Amy pulled off onto the shoulder. The kickstand went down the bike's engine was cut off as a frustrated hedgehog yanked the keys out of the ignition. Flipping up her visor, she got off and paced around the bike…not really sure what the hell she was looking for but at least it made her feel somewhat in charge.

"Must be something internal…" Amy muttered.

She had traveled about ten or fifteen miles from the small town and didn't pass any buildings along the way.

"Look's like I'm walking." she said with a heavy sigh.

Kicking up the kickstand, Amy turned the heavy vehicle around and, with all of her might, trudged off west from the sun's rays, her motorcycle along side of her. Less than half a mile later a car honked its horn wildly behind Amy and she looked back curious as to who was the source of the noise. Across the street in the oncoming lane and small red convertible pulled off the road opposite Amy and a familiar face waved at the hedgehog.

"Hey Amy!" a teenage rabbit with long auburn hair and sunglasses waved energetically.

Amy took off her helmet and blinked in almost disbelief, but it was without a doubt her friend Cream.

"Having trouble?" Cream shouted.

"Yeah! Hang on a sec!" Amy replied.

A few more cars passed before Amy quickly pushed her motorcycle across the road and in front of the convertible. Cream joined her exhausted friend as she rested the bike on its kickstand.

"What happened?" the rabbit asked curiously.

"I don't know. Something went out and now the thing won't even run for me." Amy answered, her hands on her hips.

"Man, that sucks. This thing looks brand new too!"

Slowly Cream had taken upon herself to inspect the bike. Not to help find the problem, just out of adolescent awe. However, Amy still couldn't believe how much the girl had grown over the years. Last thing she remembered about Cream was how small and cute she was in her little red dress. Ten years later she was beginning to blossom into a beautiful young woman sporting a red and yellow t-shirt, jeans that fit her like a glove, and red and white sneakers. She was even able to grow out a ponytail on her head with a couple of bangs in front.

"_She's changed a lot…_" Amy thought.

After her young friend was done gazing in awe at the busted bike, she finally returned to the young woman.

"That's a totally kick-ass bike you got there. Hey, maybe when it's fixed I could get a couple of rides?"

The naïve teen elbowed the hedgehog a couple of times working a smirk out of Amy.

"Well…I'll think about." was her answer with a guilty smile.

Immediately Cream began jumping around celebrating her victory even if the only answer she got was a "maybe". Suddenly Amy brought the celebration to halt remembering _her_ situation.

"Hey, we need to call for a tow truck or do something or neither of us will get to ride my bike anytime soon." she said poking the head of the girl rapidly.

"Oh right! Good thing mom got me a cell phone last year." Cream hurried back to her car.

"Cell phone…?" Amy said slightly confused. "_Well, she is eighteen…but still…_"

A minute later Cream returned already making the call on her small phone decorated in shimmering stickers. She talked for minutes, possibly to several people, before finally giving Amy an update.

"Ok!" she shouted full of energy. "Everything's in motion. The tow truck is on it's way from a town not too far from here. So we'll trail it back there, you can sort things out at the repair shop and then we'll go look for a place to stay until repairs for done."

"Uh, great…yeah." Amy was a bit hesitant. She was going back to the one place she was trying to get away from a couple of hours ago.

"Great! In the mean time we can chill in my car until the truck gets here." Cream headed back to her tiny red car and hopped into the front seat.

With a heavy sigh Amy dragged her feet to the convertible as well and got in the passenger seat. As the teen began to munch away on some snacks she had in the back seat, her dismayed companion had no interest in eating and instead gazed out at the landscape before her. That small town…better yet, that **house **was the one pulling her back in and probably wouldn't let her go until things began happening.

_I wish this was a coincidence. I wish I could convince myself that it was. But it's not. I know better than to think that way._


	3. Lure of the Past

Final Vision

Event 3: Lure of the Past  
An hour and fifteen frustrating minutes later, Amy had finally paid for repairs to her motorcycle and left the auto shop. She threw herself over the passenger side door of Cream's car exhaling out her frustration. Her friend looked on with a blank stare.

"Got it all sorted out?" Cream asked.

"Yeah." Amy stood up and got into the car. "Now I hardly have any money left on me. Geez, how am I going to survive?"

Immediately Cream reached into the back seat and grabbed her small purse.

"No worries. I can pay for everything." she said digging through her purse.

"How?" the hedgehog asked suspiciously eyeing the girl.

In a flash, the ambitious teen whipped out a credit card sporting a satisfying grin.

"Credit, duh!"

"_Seriously! Is there anything this girl doesn't have?_" Amy gave herself a well-deserved slap to the forehead; heedless teenagers living like heedless adults…

With a noisy _vroom!_, the small car drove off down the main street as the girls looked for a place to lodge in until repairs were finished. In no time they came upon a small two-story hotel on the main street and pulled into the parking lot. Sometime later they managed to get a room and settled in with all of their belongings (most of it being Cream's though). It wasn't until they were unpacking when Cream looked across at a lonely Amy sitting on her bed, her only possessions being a small backpack, her leather jacket, and red helmet. Dropping everything she had, the rabbit scooped up her purse and grabbed her friend heading for the door.

"Whoa! Where are we going?" the young woman asked as she stumbled behind Cream.

"Shopping, duh! If we're going to be staying here for a while you're gonna need more clothes to wear."

Although her favorite past time, it didn't seem appropriate for the hedgehog at the moment. Nonetheless she didn't have much of a choice and followed the energetic girl, will or nil

Despite the small size of the town, there were quite a few stores to shop at for clothes. Hopping from one store to the next, Cream rushed around picking out clothes she thought looked cute and shoved them into Amy's arms.

"Here! Try these on!" the rabbit insisted dropping an arm full of blouses in her friend's care.

Without any time to react, Amy found herself pushed into a dressing room giving her a moment of peace and quiet. The blouses she held were cute but she wasn't really in the mood to try on new clothes. She sighed heavily and hung up the shirts on the wall hanger. A small bench in the corner served as a nice place to rest and so she did, stretching out her legs and gazing up at the florescent light on the ceiling.

"_Oh my god! How many stores have we been in_?" she asked herself overwhelmed and near exhaustion.

Slowly the hedgehog's eyes fell shut; fantasies of a calmer atmosphere poured into her mind. Away from the cities; away from civilization; away from **Cream**. Just herself and her renewed spirit in some calm field…

"_Maybe with Sonic by my side heh…_"

A smile grew on her face and she even managed out a giggle. Suddenly the dream was shatter by rapid knocking on the dressing room door.

"Amy!" Cream's voice called out from the other side. "How are the shirts working out for you? Can I come in and see them?"

"I uh… I'm not ready yet! Hang on a sec!"

The pink hedgehog rushed tearing off her jacket and shirt and immediately threw on one of the blouses. Maybe Cream's erractic shopping would be therapeutic to her.

…A glance in the mirror.

…Maybe she was being _too _optimistic.

"You ready yet Amy? Can I come in now?" the teen called out once more.

"Ugh… why can't this day end now?" Amy muttered to herself with a grimace.

The sun was heading for the western horizon by the time the girls made it back to the hotel. With both of their arms full of shipping bags, they shuffled into their room throwing thier bags on their beds respectively. Cream bounced onto her bed kicking off her shoes.

"Phew! I can't believe we got so much shopping done. And it didn't even cost us that much either! Can you believe it?" the rabbit asked digging through one of the bags next to her.

All Amy could reply with was a half-hearted smile and sat on the edge of her bed gazing at the floor. One by one, she gently removed her shoes neatly placing them at the foot of her bed. Unknown to her, Cream looked on with interest as if watching an elusive creature of the wild. A few seconds into the silence and Amy finally noticed the attention she grabbed and cautiously eyed her friend.

"Yeah?" she asked drawing out the word.

"Something's wrong with you…" Blatantly obvious, as a teen should be.

Even though her lack of interest in shopping showed like an ugly bruise, Amy still tried to hide it.

"What do you mean?" the hedgehog asked throwing in a nervous laugh. "I'm just exhausted from today. I mean with all that running around you made me do, anyone would be tired out!"

Again her weak laugh faded into silence as he quietly hoped that her friend bought the cover up. A short shrug from the girl confirmed that she took the bait and went back to rustling through the bags on her bed. The hedgehog took note and went through her bags as well, examining her new set of clothes. It wasn't like her to cover up her own feelings, yet she felt that her past in this town was one thing Cream didn't need to know…or anyone else for that matter.

"_What happened here has to stay here._" the young woman thought. "_I can't let them follow me wherever I go…or I may never stop looking back on my past._"

In the dark room, the digital clock on the nightstand between the two beds glowed 11:48PM in red. To the right of the furniture, a slumbering rabbit was half hidden by the covers, her hair strewn across her face. To the other side of the nightstand a restless hedgehog lay awake, her eyes brightly staring up at the white ceiling above her. Her flowing hair rested about her face in a goddess manner, yet her feelings were not even of royal status. The fact that she was back in the small town seemed to eat at her insides. The thought that this place had a grasp on her demolished her spirit. The anxiety in waiting for something to happen constantly occupied her.

"_If this is what I'll feel like after a day…then I better get the wheels turning myself._" Amy presumed with no evidence if it was necessary.

She sat up and moved out of her bed being watchful of Cream's actions. To avoid waking her slumbering friend, Amy moved about with the finesse of a feline, quietly dressing herself and slipping into her shoes. After a last look at the sleeping teen, Amy swiped her room key off the dresser and left the room gently closing the door behind her. In the cold autumn night, Amy realized how far it was to Shadow's home and entertained the idea of borrowing her friend's car for the short trip across town.

"_No. The noise might wake her up._" the hedgehog realized assuming that Cream had grown into the type of girl who was overprotective of her belongings.

Though she could've easily gone back in and snatched the car keys, she instead forced herself onward walking out to the main street. She was certainly a much better friend than that.

It was bitterly cold outside and the wind chill aided in making the trip harder to take. Yet the driving fire in Amy kept her warm enough to withstand the temperature. As she marched down the lifeless streets, a few shady figures roamed about staggering in the shadows, some showing signs of inebriation and drug habits. The hedgehog kept her eyes low wanting to avoid any contact with them and even hurried her pace.

Twenty minutes past and she was at her destination; standing before her in the icy moonlight was Shadow's former home still as deteriorated as it was hours ago when she first visited. She prepped herself for the first step that she would eventually take. She was successful but her heart jumped and was beating faster than she could count.

"_What's happening?_" Amy asked grabbing her chest. "_Why can't I stop this?_"

Most likely the answers she sought after lay within the house…and so she breathed in and moved forward. The front door opened with an agonizing moan and the pink haired woman peered in, her green eyes darting all around. The aging of the house showed terribly with chipping wood, cobwebs everywhere, and the unsettling smell of mold sneaking across Amy's nose. The stench singed the inside of her nostrils and she quickly covered it while boldly steeping in. The boards beneath her creaked and suddenly her heart's rapid motion stopped. Gently she laid a hand on her chest amazed at the unusual behavior of her artery.

"_It's this house._" she assumed. "_Something in here is making me do this._"

She took a few steps forward and stopped in the middle of the foyer, gazing around at her paths. Closed door to her left, another door to her front with the stairs right next to it, a hallway to the right if the stairs, and the living room on the far right. Where to go is all she had to figure out…

"…And then everything will fall together." the hedgehog finished her thought.

Timidly, she stepped towards the stairs remembering that the attic was the source of the events from years ago…there came a stir from the door next to the stairs. As it creaked open Amy could feel a cool breeze run up her pants. Curiously, she was drawn towards the door and pushed it open to reveal a narrow stairwell leading down into the basement. She was right; she made the first move and already the "wheel" was turning. Not wanting to stop the "wheel", Amy ventured down into the basement. The temperature dropped fiercely and in no time she was shivering uncontrollably.

Shrouded in complete darkness, Amy could barely see where she was going. It caught her off guard, the last step, and she stumbled over herself landing face first on the frosty stone floor. As she recovered from the fall, the curious woman noticed a breeze was in the room. Was a window open? Was there a hole somewhere in the walls? No, the air came from something in the room… something close to Amy. She pushed herself up and tried to see through the darkness though futile to do so. Just then a glimmer of light appeared. Her green eyes looked towards the floor and a few feet from her a blue light resonated from behind an object covered by a cloth. Slowly she stepped forward, drawn by the enchanting light and could make out the sheet that was covering it. With a swift pull she removed the sheet from the object it concealed.

Slowly the ragged cloth danced to the floor and before Amy stood a full length floor mirror. It's golden frame rusting into a dull almost black color while the reflecting glass slowly resonated the eerie azure color. The young woman positioned herself in front of the object and felt the bitter air flow into her. Just as she became lost in the fascinating light, it began to diminish catching her attention. Her eyes blinked twice and watched the mirror's light fade revealing not her reflection but rather a world of darkness that seemed to reside within the mirror. It was baffling but she had to know. Slowly a hand reached out and touched the smooth surface of the glass.

"_Is this some kind of doorway?_" she wondered.

Not that she wanted to venture into the dark world but it was just puzzling how she could see something that couldn't possibly fit into a mirror. Just to make sure there was no way in Amy gently leaned against the glass a few times and nothing happened. Bewilderment quickly changed to frustration as she began to wonder the true meaning of the mirror and why it was in Shadow's home in the first place. Pacing around it, she scratched her head and ended up back in front again.

"Maybe this is what's causing my heart to crazy; a mirror that…reveals my true feelings I guess…" she pondered out loud.

As strange as the explanation sounded, it seemed reasonable to the hedgehog. Her memories staying behind in a supernatural house taking on the shape of a mirror…it made plenty of sense within the boundaries of reason! And with that train of thought she sat herself on the floor in front of the mirror ready to face what was really eating her inside. Amy stared at the mirror with intent bracing herself for any shocking images that may appear or even fly out of the mirror.

Yet what happened next didn't even cross her mind as a possibility.

Faintly in the distance of the mirror's world a cloaked figure flashed before Amy's eyes. She blinked a few times losing her concentration.

"_Maybe it was a light reflection…_" she thought despite the lack of any light.

….A few seconds later it happened again…this time the figure moving slightly closer.

"_W-what?_" She now realized something was in there.

…Again and even closer.

"_Dammit…_" Amy was ready to jump up at any moment.

…Expectations were high but this time nothing happened. Had the figure gone away or was it really Amy's mind fooling with her? She sighed releasing her tension and looked back at the--

"OH SHIT!!" the young woman shouted shooting to her feet. In complete darkness she back away from the reflecting object bumping and stumbling over assorted junk that was behind her, hoping to hit the wall soon. Instead her foot got caught and the hedgehog fell back sitting on top of what probably was an overturned chair. However she didn't care. Her heart raced and her thoughts turned into a scrambled mess that all said the same thing: GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! But with her foot stuck she was forced to look into the mirror at the last thing she expected to find:

Shadow the Hedgehog.


	4. Together Again One Last Time

Final Vision

Event 4: Together Again…One Last Time  
Dressed in a navy tattered cloak with the hood down, an emotionless black and red hedgehog stared into Amy's soul with cold dead eyes. Deep within her she felt it…a tingling sensation of icy guilt and the power of Shadow's eyes cutting her insides fiercely. And there it went again, her heart pounding against her ribcage like a jackhammer.

"_So that's what it was…it was Shadow's presence._" she figured out.

Once again Amy grasped her chest, this time to try to control herself. She couldn't break down right in front of the one she killed, she'd be going back on her word of never letting her past get to her.

"_No!_" she told herself. "_Fight back those tears. He wanted to die, you had to do it, and that's the way it had to be! Stay strong…stay strong…_"

In her fighting moment, Amy managed to untangle her leg from the mess and approached the mirror…Shadow's eye still watching her closely. She came face to face with her friend; dark crimson eyes staring into bright green ones communicated silently with each other. Little was said but the message was clear: something's not right and that something brought us together once more.

The connection was loss when Amy could no longer look into his dead eyes and she hid hers in shame. Her feelings welled up within her and were pushing their way out in tears. But a voice stopped them.

"There is no shame in what you did." Shadow's dark soothing voice spoke.

Amy's eyes shot up unsure of what she heard.

"It was a burden I should not have placed on you."

For some reason all of the guilt, anguish, and shame her sin forced her to carry for the past ten years vanished. The feeling of relief in her heart was so great, so amazing, that all she could do was cry.

Collapsing against the mirror, Amy cried out all the pain she suppressed as tears rained out of her eyes. Shadow could do naught from beyond the mirror besides reach out to his old friend. Reaching through the glass, his hand changing into a skeletal form, he placed it on the back of her head. Amy felt the gentle pats against her head and although the hedgehog's hand was like ice, the motions communicated passion and forgiveness for something forced upon her.

Some time had passed when Amy woke up. She was still in the basement but a soft light resonated from a corner of the room. As the hedgehog sat up she noticed she was on a dirty, tattered cloth that protected her from the cold stones of the floor.

"_Shadow must've put it there for me._" her thoughts whispered.

Slowly her eyes searched the dimly lit basement and she could make out a few pieces of old, broken furniture scattered about. Amy then looked behind her for the source of the inviting light and on a small table in the corner burned a melting candle in a rusted candleholder. Crouching next to the table, his hood over his head, was Shadow. He didn't seem to notice his friend wake up leaving her to assume that he had dozed off just as she did.

"_Well…as long as he's sleeping, I better get out of here._" Amy stood up.

Gently she dusted off her clothes and decided to take one last look before she--

"DAMMIT! Shadow, would you stop doing that?!" He had suddenly appeared behind her staring at the young woman with his cold eyes.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I just wanted to make sure that you were ok."

"Yeah but…you just…that was really…" Amy stopped herself and took a deep breath. "What are you doing still alive?"

He was silent, his face turned away from her, possibly in some shame. In her predictable reaction of concern, Amy bent over slightly to look into Shadow's eyes but he pulled them away from her quickly. So she tried taking his hand but he yanked that from her too.

"I'm not…" he said quietly. "This is my home. I don't want to leave it to him."

"To who?"

Just as he opened his mouth a tremendous roar came from the floors above shaking some dust from the basement ceiling. Amy looked back at Shadow in disbelief and realized it was indeed a serious situation.

"What was that?" the femme hedgehog asked.

Shadow glared at her ashamed that she even dared to ask such a question. It was then when she realized who it was upstairs… Quickly she averted her eyes from the dark hedgehog and delved deep into her memories. The towering figure; muscles upon muscles protected by large scales; wings that reached the heavens; red eyes that pierced the night… A shiver ran down her spine as she desperately tried to erase the memories of the horrid beast.

"He's been up there all of these years wanting me out of this house." Shadow answered lowering his brow.

"He wants this house? I thought the two of you were one and the same." Amy assumed.

The dark hedgehog sighed heavily shaking his head. It was much more complex than she could perceive, but it wasn't her fault. She wasn't there over fifty years ago when they were created. If she were to be of any help, then she would have to understand everything about him and The Beast.

"You have to understand Amy," Shadow began. "I may have shared the same body with that monster but it was too small to contain the powers that we had. All of those times I lost my temper and 'changed' into that beast was really him taking over until his powers waned."

"And every time you allowed him to win, he grew stronger until your body couldn't contain the both of you no more." Amy added remembering Professor Gerald's journal she read in the attic years ago.

Shadow nodded in return.

"When you killed me, you separated us from that body and we became two separate entities. Unfortunately we can only survive as long as we have something physical to attach ourselves to in this world. Something that has meaning to us."

Already she knew what the answer was and approached the wall touching it.

"Just like ghosts from a children's book. They remain in this world attached to an object they value dearly in their hearts." she said. Her voice was distant.

"We both came to this house." the dark hedgehog continued. "Wanting dominance over it, we were only able to split it. He took the attic while I came down here…back to my domain. Numerous times I tried to fight him by going upstairs but he's too powerful. So I hid away in this mirror and over time began to fade away because of my cowardice. That's what you saw when you first came in a short while ago."

Amy bit her lip unable to say anything for her troubled friend.

"You ran and I was sure that you would never return again…at all. But then you came back today. I felt something inside me grow." Shadow spoke.

"Courage?" the young woman questioned and received a nod in response.

"It brought back memories of ten years ago when you constantly came back to help me despite the injury you suffered from and Sonic's protest."

Immediately she blushed from the simple compliments, though they helped soothe her past. To think that she thought of Shadow as someone vengeful and cold-hearted when she actually knew him better than she realized. He suddenly took her hands into his and she could feel it…his heart beating along with hers as well as the effects of her works. All of the pushing and encouraging she gave him left a sincere impression that she could see in his eyes and so she gradually noticed differences between the then and now. Shadow no longer spoke with his eyes averted and hiding in the shadows. He was honest and open and even let his eyes do all of the talking. He didn't seem dismissive of hope either but rather embraced it. As for the peace that was on his face, though caught in a terrible situation at the moment, it was a sure sign that he had come to terms with his past and accepted it.

All that was worth saying was a simple 'You're welcome' from Amy and she squeezed his hands in relief.

"In the many years I have lived, there's only three people who have truly touched my heart…and you're one of them."

It really was too much for her to take. Driven to joyful tears, Amy wiped her eyes and turned away in embarrassment, but they were also tears of sorrow. It was a taut dilemma for her fading friend. He struggled his entire life searching for peace and now, even after physical death, Shadow still had to fight for it. If it was the entire world he was fighting against. then a helpless pity would've been acceptable from Amy. However that was not the case. The only one who stood between Shadow and the life he yearned for was The Beast. That demonic reptile dragon creature whose heated anger was the antagonist to Shadow's cooling tranquility. It was an unfair fight, one that Amy had to get in on for she, too, shared the same hatred Shadow had towards The Beast.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she heard Shadow's silent weeping. She looked behind her to see the hedgehog crouched over shaking. Calmly, Amy knelt next to him; close enough to see his face but not too close to make him feel uncomfortable. She was shocked to see tears running down his cheeks and splash silently on the stone floor.

"_He may be strong and hopeful now, but it seems the reality of the situation has just hit him._"

Just as she reached out to comfort him, Shadow spoke.

"You're probably wondering why I'm crying. Why I broke down so easily when I usually would just rush upstairs and face him in an instant."

The pink hedgehog remained silent.

"This is it Amy." Shadow lifted his face and looked towards the ceiling. "This is my final chance to achieve that ultimate peace I've been reaching for. That 'heaven' I've been yearning for in this world. If I fail now, I'll fade away forever as a failure."

"But you'll be in heaven with your family…"

He chuckled at the thought.

"I don't know. I don't know if I deserve heaven…" He wiped a tear from his eye and stood up. "I've killed so many people for decades. Broken so many lives, including my own. Does heaven deserve to host a monster such as myself? A monster born in a laboratory?"

She couldn't stand it. Shadow's words, though ominous, spoke a truth she refused to acknowledge. She quickly hugged the specter as tight as she could. Not for him but for herself, to calm her own fears of Shadow's demise.

"Don't speak like that, please." her voice pleaded with him. "You **will** fight against that monster and you **will** win. You understand?"

The black hedgehog simply lowered his head shutting his eyes.

"You can't lose." Amy continued. "You just can't give up like that. Shadow, I only knew you for a short time in your life but what I learned was that you never gave up. Ten years ago you never gave up on searching for your past when you had forgotten it. It's that attitude that has inspired me to never give up as well…especially on something that I strongly believe in."

"And you believe that I can defeat this monster?" he asked.

"Yes but…" She grabbed onto one of Shadow's hands. "we'll do this together just like we did ten years ago. If anyone deserves a peaceful life, it's you."

In response, Shadow tightened his grip around Amy's hand.

"You deserve peace as well. The pain and suffering you received from our first journey shows. I think it's time for you to put your past to rest."

A smile served as appreciation for his words and the two held onto each other for a few seconds longer.

"_Though I wish we could be like this for eternity._" Amy's mind whispered.

Her heart began to flutter uncontrollably but she didn't mind this time…at least until she began to feel a sense of fear in her heart as well. But why fear? What was she afraid of? It was at that moment when Shadow gently pulled away from her and proceeded to the stairs.

"I'll be back." he said to her. "You'll be safe if you stay down here."

He then disappeared up the steps, and Amy's fear continued to grow.

"_What's wrong with me?_" she wondered placing a hand on her chest. "_What do I have to be afraid of? I'm confident that Shadow will defeat that monster and yet…this fear continues to grow._"

As Shadow's footfalls disappeared from the basement, the feeling became stronger within Amy. Eventually she ended up sitting on the floor against the wall clutching her chest.

"Why does this fear keep growing? I have complete confidence in Shadow but it won't go away." she whispered to herself. "This is very strange…"


	5. Dominance Once More

Final Vision

Event 5: Dominance Once More  
Gradually every step became more difficult to take…and he was only just arriving at the second floor. Inside, his emotions ran wild while his mind went through every possibility of what could happen.

"_Just how will this end? Will it be long and arduous or short and simple? I don't think I can go through with this. The house could collapse if I got into a fight…and Amy could be killed! I have to find a way to get rid of him quickly with little damage._"

Just as the last word left his mind, he stood at the foot of the stairwell to the attic. In the eerie darkness the narrow journey seemed even longer than his memory could recall. Nevertheless he forced on and climbed the stairs, weighed down by his mind-set. Step by step the temperature rose though had no effect on him. All he could feel was the fantastic presence of The Beast in his attic…most likely waiting for Shadow's arrival. Halfway there and a low growl came from beyond the door ahead and tensed up Shadow's feelings.

"_He's not going to scare me out of my home…_" the hedgehog thought.

Ten steps away and the heat was at it's hottest with oven-like temperatures, yet Shadow's cool aura protected him. Nine steps away and another growl came from beyond the door building up Shadow's confidence. Eight steps away and he could envision it now. His mighty victory over the compensating beast; his voice shouting triumph to the world from the attic of his domain. Seven steps away and he could see the look in her eyes. Amy rushing up the steps and throwing herself around him in tears. …He felt himself blush a bit. Six steps, a slightly louder growl came from his enemy but this time encouraging Shadow to battle. Five steps; the anticipation within him built up an icy energy in his soul. Four and his hands trembled with excitement. Three, he could sense The Beast's energy building as well. Two, his hand reached out for the doorknob. Final step…a single thought flashed through his mind.

"_This is all for you…_"

The attic door swung open and a blast of searing heat blew in Shadow's direction. He stood strong and unaffected, waiting until the heat died down. Just before him a black fog filled the aging room hovering mysteriously. It seems The Beast, though prideful and demanding, concealed himself even if there was no one around to see him.

"That fog." Shadow spoke. "It speaks volumes of your character. Always cocky and constantly reminding me that you're still here. Yet you beckon me to come to you instead of seeking me out for yourself. What's the matter? Afraid to leave your little comfort zone?"

A fierce roar came from the fog blowing more heat in Shadow's face but enough was enough. Anger and frustration quickly built up within him creating that same icy energy he felt seconds ago. Not holding back, Shadow released the energy in a gale of snow and wind that swirled about the attic. Frost and ice appeared instantly on the old furniture scattered throughout and the windows themselves were blown out completely. For seconds Shadow put all of his anger into the isolated blizzard determined to drive out The Beast. The black fog soon began to shrink and an agonizing roar came from the monster it hid.

"That's right! Scream in pain! Run in terror! This is my home, my property, and my memories you're messing with and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it!!" the hedgehog yelled over the wind with bloodlust in his eyes.

As the wind's force picked up, so did the monster's cries but it wasn't enough for Shadow. He wanted the creature to suffer more. Suffer as much as he did when he lost everything in times past.

"You showed me what true pain and heartache was. Now it's my turn to show you the same!"

His warrior cries intensified the blizzard until it became nothing but wall of swirling, blinding snow.

Down below in the basement, Amy could hear the commotion from above as it shook off more dust from the basement ceiling. Sitting on the floor, she hugged her knees and wondered if Shadow was winning the battle and if the house would hold up. Seconds later the intense rumbling ceased and eerie sound of silence was all that was left. Cautiously the pink hedgehog stood and made her way up the stairs in to the foyer.

"Shadow…" she called out unsure of his condition.

Her eyes gazed up the second set of stairs leading to the second floor and so she continued still calling out for him.

"Shadow, are you alright?" she asked a little louder this time.

As Amy neared the top of the stairs she stopped shy of the last step awed by what was before her. The doorway to the attic stairwell was lined with ice… just what did happen? Concern told her legs to move on but curiosity was what she really felt. As she ascended the stairs, Amy had to grab onto the ice-covered railing for support. With almost every step she took her feet nearly slipped from under her.

"_Could Shadow have done this?_" Amy asked herself halfway up the steps.

Temperatures were possibly below freezing, much colder than it was outside and Amy could feel frostbite setting into her fingers and nose. Nevertheless she continued on eventually reaching the attic door. The ice lining made it difficult to open, so she leaned her whole weight on the door until it gave in and she tumbled into the attic across a snowy floor. Immediately the hedgehog sat up breathing out puffs of breaths in an isolated winter wonderland. A foot of powdery snow was all across the floor accumulating into mounds against the walls and on top of furniture. The blown out windows had been replaced by makeshift windows of thick ice and bits of frost had built up all over the walls. Slowly Amy's eyes wandered to the ceiling where crystallized icicles hung completing the winter setting. It was highly unusual yet there was a calming atmosphere like the kind of air that hung around after a violent storm.

Amy stood to her feet taking in the sights until she noticed Shadow on the other side of the room crouched down over something in the snow. Carefully the young woman made her way through the sea of junk that had moved around in the snow storm and was only a few feet from Shadow when--

"Stay away!" he shouted hold a hand back to stop Amy.

Immediately she stopped and looked around her feet wondering if she had stepped on something.

"…Just stay away. Please." his voice sounded broken up.

Behind silent sobs, Shadow began dusting snow off of a large rectangular object in his hands. After shaking off the last bit of snow, he carefully raised the object up revealing an old portrait of himself and a young girl with golden shoulder-length hair. Fascinated by the piece, Amy inched closer to get a better look. The bottom right corner had been torn but most of the painting was intact. Shadow was relieved and stood up approaching a blank spot on the wall before him. Using his powers he created an ice ledge and placed the portrait onto it. Amy silently approached him from behind placing a hand on his shoulder. Upon closer examination she noticed that the figures were crudely painted with disproportions here and there…yet she could see the love and effort that was put into it. The fair young girl's gentle smile contrasting against Shadow's dark brooding face; alone each had their own beauty but together created a compelling image.

"Who is that?" Amy asked in a whisper.

"Maria…she was my sister…the one who loved me more than anyone else." Shadow answered.

"She's beautiful."

"She will always be…"


	6. A Reason to Remain

Final Vision

Event 6: A Reason to Remain  
It wasn't until late morning when Amy decided it was time for her to leave Shadow's home, though he seemed reluctant to let her go for some hidden reason of his. She complained of how tired she was and that she had a friend who would probably worry herself to death (literally) if she woke up to find Amy's bed empty. It took some willpower within Shadow to fight against his feelings, but he eventually let Amy go biding her goodbye verbally yet silently hoping that she would return soon.

The sunrise was welcoming to the young woman after a night of oddities and terror. It was a sign that another day had come and that she was one day closer to leaving that town. Shadow's feud with The Beast had been resolved, he had his home back, and all was well…but she couldn't believe it. The town would finally be at peace now that Shadow's spirit was content…but she couldn't believe it. Even the nightmares of her past sins would never haunt her again…but she couldn't believe it. Better yet, she wouldn't believe those things. Her conscious fully believed that the world she saw was how things would be from now on, but deep within her was a feeling that said that her job wasn't done yet. That she had only scratched the surface of a conflict that ran deep.

The door to the girls' hotel room opened silently. Amy peered her head into the dark room hoping that Cream was still fast asleep. Unfortunately the girl's bed was empty. She probably was out searching for the hedgehog. Too tired to chase after, Amy sulked into the room falling face first onto her bed. Her silky pink hair was strewn about her head while her black nose breathed in the smell of…paper? Quickly she pushed herself up with her arms and sure enough there was a note her face had landed on. Sitting up, the hedgehog scooped up the folded loose leaf and read a poorly written message that seemed to have been made at the last minute.

_Hey Amy. You weren't here when I got up so I figured you went out for some fresh air. Anyways if I'm not here when you get this then I'm probably out, you guessed it, shopping! See ya when I get back._

_B.F.F.L. (Best Friend For Life)  
__Cream_

Of course. What else would someone with her type of energy do? As long as Cream kept herself busy, Amy had no problems with it.

From the ice windows of his new sanctuary, Shadow looked out into the world he once remembered. The forest of trees in the backyard of his home were all barren. Even for the autumn season, such a deserted look was unusual. Usually a few pine trees were scattered about keeping their green color year round but even those were nowhere to be found across the vast scenery.

"So this is what happened to my home." the gloomy hedgehog said to himself. "Without me everything died unwilling to live on."

His thoughts delved deep into his past, to the one that kept him hanging on to this world.

"Maria…" he whispered. "Without you I wouldn't be here. I probably would've gave up on living years ago while I was still an "infant" to this world. But you made sure I didn't make that choice by instilling me with courage from your own heart."

Shadow laid a hand over his chest. Though his body was only an empty shell he still had his emotions that at least made him feel alive.

Tired with the rather depressing view, he decided to take a look around the house and see just how much changed during his long term memory loss. With his cloak still wrapped up tight around his body, Shadow left the attic heading down to the second floor. Just as he exited the attic stairwell he stopped and gazed off at the bedroom door to his right. That was once Maria's room. Flashes of his memory came and went in his mind…all of the times he spent in that bedroom. He could see it now, the layout of the small innocent space. Off to the right of the bedroom door was Maria's closet. Once filled with beautiful garments for the young girl to wear now probably all falling apart in some way. To the left of her room was her mirror dresser with her canopy bed sitting opposite of it. On the floor between them: a dusty old rug that had lost it's snowy color to a dingy gray. At the far end of the room was the window that looked out into the world…a partially broken and dirty window with Maria's personal desk to its left.

Yes that was Maria's room just as he remembered it…and slowly Shadow walked to the middle of the room slightly depressed at what it had become over the years. Just then he remembered a certain present Maria had made for him and hoped it would be in the last place he saw it. The black hedgehog rushed to the dresser and carefully pulled open the top wooden drawer.

"_It's here…_" Hope filled his ruby eyes.

Still in one piece, as if held together by her love, was a red scarf Maria had knitted for Shadow years ago. As he held the garment in his hands, the hedgehog's emotions went into overdrive and he almost felt alive. My god! The amount of memories that rushed back into his mind were enormous, more than he could count! The laughter, the arguments, and even the sad moments. All of them he remembered clear as the blue sky for, in some way, they all involved the same blonde hair, blue eyed girl he loved so much. With such a reaction to the scarf, Shadow felt obligated to wear it…and not just wear the thing but wear it proudly like an officer wears a badge. And so the hedgehog removed his tattered cloak and slipped the garment around his neck. The perfect length just as he suspected.

With his spirits renewed, Shadow took one last look at the room once more. The fact that it was untouched amazed him and somehow gave more meaning to his old house. Now he really wanted to protect it from intruders, robbers, anyone who dared to take away what he considered to be his memories.

"This house is all that I have left…" Shadow said clutching one end of the scarf in his hand. "I must do everything I can to preserve it…to preserve my memories."

With a firm nod, he left Maria's room closing the door behind him and went downstairs to see how the rest of the house fared. The door to the game room was shut tight so there was no getting in there. The hedgehog headed for the living room next and just as he stepped a foot into the room, light from the outside world faded quickly. Shadow's ears perked up…something terrible loomed about.

"_It can't be…can it?_" he asked himself.

…A low growl confirmed his fears. The Beast had returned which meant Shadow still had some unfinished business. But would he run away this time? Would he cower in fear and wait for Amy to give him a pep talk? The monstrous nightmare outside gave off a mighty roar as an attempt to intimidate the lesser being. But Shadow simply smirked facing the front door.

"Hmph. Like hell am I going to let you scare me away." the black hedgehog spoke with an almost devilish smirk on his face. "This is my house and there's no way you're getting any part of it you freak!"

A blast of heat blew into the house as Shadow threw the front door open, his scarf blowing heroically in the gale of heat. But that wasn't enough to stir him as he walked into the black fog that had descended upon the area around his home. His cool, icy aura that he emitted protected him from the blazing heat of the mysterious fog. Shadow was confident. He had the upper hand since he didn't use gimmicks to conceal himself. He was who he was because of a caring soul he loved.

"There's nothing for me to be ashamed of! I have no regrets about what I was when I was alive and I have no regrets about myself now!" the hedgehog boldly professed to his adversary.

The Beast gave off another roar in response.

"The sins I've committed in my past, the blood that was shed was only because of you. Your anger, hatred, and power hungry ways are what drove me to the limit but without you trying to rule over me I'm free to live a peaceful life. A peaceful life with **my** home, **my** memories, **my** life that was never intended to be yours!"

The monster growled menacingly but Shadow kept on going over the growls.

"I'm not the one who was a mistake! You were! You were the mistake!!"

That was the final straw for the hidden creature. He let out an earth shaking roar that nearly shook the small hedgehog off the porch steps. Shadow stumbled onto the dirt ground but held his place. He was ready to take on whatever The Beast had for him.

Halfway across town back at the hotel, a resting Amy was startled by the tremendous roar of the beast. She literally fell out of bed and frantically sat up, eyes darting all around the room.

"Huh? Wha? What the hell was that?" she asked.

Immediately she ran to the door opening it and, in the distance, saw a what looked to be a black cloud over Shadow's home.

"Oh no…" her lips trembled.

The pink hedgehog disappeared back into the room and minutes later, dashed out dressed in her day clothes while pulling on her magenta jacket. Through the town she sprinted nearly running over pedestrians but still managing to apologize quickly as she passed them. All the while one thought remained persistent throughout her mind:

"_I was right._" she told herself. "_Things aren't what they seem to be and I'm still needed here._"

And as long as there were signs that told her so, her resolve would not falter.

Unbeknownst to the hurried hedgehog, across the street was her young rabbit friend exiting out of the local burger shop. She wondered where Amy was off to in such a hurry.

In the dark fog Shadow was thrown back and tumbled across the dirt and dead grass spots. The red scarf, though scuffed up a bit and dirtied, remained around his neck. The Beast was only toying around with him, Shadow was sure of it. He knew very well about the various abilities the monstrosity had and figured that the creature was just testing him out now to see if the hedgehog was a worthy opponent.

"So he wants to know my strength?" A misty blue aura formed around his hands. "I won't just show it to him…I'll give him a personal taste!"

With his hands held out at his sides, Shadow marched towards the source of The Beast's growls eager to show what he was capable of. Almost as if it sensed the hedgehog's enthusiasm, a rush of heat headed towards shadow in the fog. Was it a fire attack or was the monster itself coming for the hero? No matter, Shadow couldn't stand the anticipation and took it upon himself to make the first move. He charged forward blindly and leapt into the air hoping that he was attack his opponent. As he soared through the air for what seemed like an eternity, they suddenly appeared before him. The crimson eyes of his enemy glaring at the hedgehog. The snowy energy within Shadow's hands built up quickly upon his command and with an ecstatic grin he released the energy before him in the form of a powerful blizzard attack. The force of the storm not only injured The Beast but also threw back Shadow yet he managed to keep his footing when he landed.

Knelt down on the ground, the dark hero listened as his adversary emitted cries of pain.

"I bet he didn't see that one coming." he said out of arrogance.

Suddenly the atmosphere was quiet and Shadow's ears twitched accordingly trying to pick up on the slightest of sounds. In and instant he felt a disturbingly strong presence of energy and from his right, a wild blaze of fire tore through the fog. Shadow managed to jump out of the way just in time but was quickly slapped to the ground in mid-air by what he could only assume to have been The Beast's claw. The second he landed, Shadow quickly launched himself into the air again dodging another attack from the monster. Quickly the hedgehog made his way back towards the house but a pillar of fire blocked his path. He stopped and spun around glaring into the eyes of the enemy.

Though that was all that could be seen in the dense black fog, Shadow knew that it was much bigger than that. A faint light appeared just below the eyes; another fire attack was about to be launched. Instinctively, Shadow attacked with two fierce ice attacks from each of his hands. The eyes dissipated into the fog and Shadow started to go after the creature…but he stopped just after a few steps.

…

A sudden feeling stirred his heart. A feeling of great concern and worry…

"No! Right now?" Shadow question the feeling.

There was no time to stand around and ponder about the strange feelings, he knew what was going on and had to hurry across the yard before it was too late. With the speed and grace of the wind, Shadow rushed across the front yard through the fog. In seconds he could see the light of the outside world just ahead of him…and he could also sense The Beast's energy nearby.

Outside the fog Amy had just arrived at the front gates to Shadow's home. She gazed at the heavy cloud unsure of what to do though she knew Shadow was somewhere within the dark matter.

"I can't stop here." she told herself. "I have to keep moving."

Amy advance towards the fog but was suddenly stopped as Shadow shot out of the matter and skidded to a halt just in front of her.

"Get down!!" he yelled at her.

Just as the pink hedgehog opened her mouth a gigantic fireball exploded from the fog heading for them. Amy dove to the ground covering her head and only heard an explosion come from Shadow's direction. Seconds later she opened her eyes to see white snowflakes falling about her and turned back to her savior. There he was kneeling on the ground exhausted from blocking the attack. Amy wasted no time in attending to his aid.

"Shadow, are you alright?" she asked holding him gently.

"I'm fine." He brushed off the woman's hands. "Just stay back. I'll take care of this monster."

Shadow stood and approached the fog…but was then joined by Amy.

It was just like ten years ago when they both agreed to try their hardest to discover Shadow's forgotten past despite all of the dangers they faced. Now here they were ten years later teaming up to protect that once forgotten past from a "new" danger. Though his body was in some pain and he was starting to get weak from using so much power, knowing that Amy would be there supporting him was all Shadow needed to keep him going.

"Stay close Amy." he addressed his friend. "I may need you to be my second set of eyes and ears if things get too rough."

Amy nodded in compliance.

The two were ready to enter into The Beast's realm once more but then something peculiar happened. Almost immediately the fog began to dissipate slowly but surely and Shadow could sense less and less of the monster's energy. Within minutes the black fog was completely gone from the area and the sun's rays shone down on the dreary home. Awestruck, Shadow walked to the center of his front yard gazing about him. He wasn't sure what to make of it but surely enough The Beast was gone, for the time being of course.

"What did you do Shadow?" Amy asked as she approached him.

"Nothing…nothing at all." was all he answered with.

Suspicious but at least the menace was gone…and Amy was no longer in any danger.

"Well, as long as that thing is gone I could care less." Shadow declared walking off towards his home.

The hedgehog had only gone a few steps before collapsing to the ground and right on cue Amy was at his side helping him up.

"Here, let me help you inside." she offered grabbing an arm.

"No, it's fine Amy." Shadow struggled to push himself up. "I can make it back on my own."

She never did like it when Shadow got too stubborn for his own good. Still she remained there by his side just as a precaution.

Shadow did manage to make it to his feet, but as soon as he lifted a leg he was down once more and so was Amy who was convinced that he needed her help. Shadow wanted to convince Amy that he didn't need her help but he didn't even have the energy to do that either. So he remained on the ground allowing the female hedgehog to wrap her arm around him. Taking it slowly this time, the two stood together, Shadow putting most of his weight on Amy. With tiny steps they made their way to the veranda of the Victorian home…and along the way Amy developed a feeling in her heart that caused it to beat faster and wondered…

"_This only seems to happen whenever I'm near Shadow. Are we…?_" she pondered.

The answer most likely resided within Shadow himself but Amy was too embarrassed to ask. Still, whatever the cause was for these unknown emotions, all she knew was that she had a reason to remain in this small town…and that reason was in her arms walking by her side.


	7. Boyfriend

Final Vision

Event 7: Boyfriend  
Towards the back of the living room away from the boarded up windows, Amy sat quietly on a stool and watched as Shadow, sitting in a dust covered armchair, fiddled with his scarf. Carefully she watched as he intentionally pulled off strands of wool undoing the perfect knit set in by Maria. For some reason this disturbed her greatly and she nearly leapt off the stool grabbing Shadow's hands.

"Please!" she shouted surprising the dark hedgehog.

For seconds the two stared at each other; Shadow wondering what was wrong with Amy and she trying to figure out what to do next. Slowly she went back to her stool and quickly twiddled her thumbs trying to cover the slight embarrassment.

"What's wrong with you?" Shadow asked anyway.

"Oh, uh…nothing. Nothing." Amy replied quickly.

The dark hedgehog leaned forward towards her and asked again.

"_What's wrong_?" he asked with more emphasis.

She couldn't ignore him now. Clearly he was onto her so she had to say something now. Nervously Amy ran a hand through her hair before answering.

"Well…the scarf." She began feeling scattered. "I think you should be more careful handling it. Just look at it." Shadow glanced down at the cloth. "If you keep on being reckless like that then it'll fall apart."

She was right. Although he took a few rough tumbles during the battle, the scarf still held together but showed signs of its strength waning away; threads loosening themselves, small rips occurring in random places, and dirt dulling the brilliant red color it once had. This scarf wasn't just a piece of cloth from Maria, it was all that was left of Shadow's past so he had to take care of it.

"You're right." the dark hedgehog replied softly. "Maria made this for me and I can't be so reckless with it. She put all of her heart into it…so it's only right that I take special care of it."

Cautiously he unraveled the garment from his neck and pondered on what to do with it. Without any warning, Shadow held the garment out towards Amy… Her heart jumped taken aback.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she asked leaning back as if the scarf was contaminated.

"I want you to wear it. Take care of it for me." Shadow asked of her.

It was flattering of him to do so…but also an overwhelming request. He had just stated a second ago how valuable the scarf was to him so why just hand it over to someone as lowly as Amy? In her mind, she was probably the most undeserving of all to even touch such a sacred garment, let alone wear it. Kindly she refused pushing the red piece of clothing back to Shadow.

"No, I can't Shadow." Amy quickly averted her eyes. "It was made just for you so only you should wear it. I mean come on. Why allow someone like me to wear it?"

Shadow's ears fell flat against his head.

"If Maria knew what I did to you--"

The cold presence of Shadow's hands covered the young woman's mouth. To her surprise he seemed angry at her glaring into her eyes that still tingled with guilt.

"Just stop it Amy!" she ordered her. "It's behind us now, so there's no need to dwell on it anymore."

He huffed wrapping the scarf back around his neck and proceeded to leave the living room.

"Besides, I'm sure she already knows." he called back as he left the room.

In the darkness the pink hedgehog smiled at her own faults and decided to join Shadow. She walked out into the foyer heading for the stairs and was startled by sudden rapping on the front door. At the top of the stairs Shadow halted looking back over his shoulder.

"I'll get it." Amy offered and headed for the door.

Just as she reached out her hand, the front door flew open and a panicked Cream rushed in.

"Amy!" She grabbed onto her bewildered friend. "What are you doing here?!"

Though understandable, the girl's reaction was a bit overdramatic. Calmly Amy brushed off the shaking hands and responded in a reasonable tone.

"I think a better question would be what are **you** doing here?" the hedgehog retorted.

"Hey, I'm not the one running though town like there's a fire somewhere." Cream switched over to "rant mode" as she paced around the foyer. "Though I'm not exactly sure why you would come to a dump like this, I'm not one to judge. What you do here is your business, though I can't help but wonder what the hell is it that you would do here. I mean, it's not like you live here or got some creepy monster living…"

Finally, her rantings stopped to the relief of Amy.

"Care to finish that thought Cream?" the hedgehog taunted with a hint of smugness.

Yet she received no response and thus turned to see what was powerful enough to cease the rabbit's chatter completely. Amy saw her friend staring blankly up the stairs at a Shadow that didn't seem too displeased with the girl's presence.

"Who the hell is--"

Before Cream could even finish her question, the dark hero disappeared up the attic stairwell leaving the teen with no other choice.

"Hey! Get back here you creep!" and she was off in pursuit.

"No, stop!!" Amy called hot on her heels.

Even if she pumped her arms as fast as she could, there was no way of catching up to the agile rabbit who had reached the next floor in just mere seconds.

"_Damn! When did she get to be so fast!_"

Though not exactly out of shape, Amy was starting to feel exhausted by the time she reached the second floor and inevitably had to push herself on as Cream dashed into the attic stairwell. Closer and closer the teen was as she climbed further towards the ice covered door. Her fingertips were just mere centimeters from the doorknob when a force from behind grabbed her by the collar and yanked back in the arms of her older friend.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Amy demanded.

"Amy!" Cream tore herself away from the hedgehog. "Some guy just took off and is in there! If he's holding you hostage here then I'll kick his ass for you!"

"JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!!"

…Cream felt herself shrink to the size of a peanut. Amy felt so heated that she could've melted all of the ice around the two but instead decided to direct that anger towards her overzealous friend.

"Enough of the accusations already! You don't even know what you're talking about and you're trying to help?! Cream, get a clue!" the hedgehog threw her arms into the air.

Amy approached the door and turned back towards the rabbit.

"First of all, I'm not being held hostage. Secondly, that **guy** in there is my friend. And finally, I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to meet you now since you've proven yourself to be nothing more than a loud nuisance, so just go."

So caught up in her anger, Amy failed to see the glazed over eyes of Cream ready to unleash a sea full of tears. Mentally the young woman stepped back and rethought her words sighing a bit.

"Look Cream…" she began. "Sorry about the yelling but you really should just calm down and stop jumping to conclusions. I know you mean well and--"

"You have a new friend..?" The teen's eyes weren't filled with tears of sadness, but tears of joy. "Amy, that's so awesome!!"

Before she could even comprehend what was happening, the rabbit had locked herself around Amy's neck weighing down the poor woman. She nearly lost her balance and tore Cream away from her to save them both.

"What…why…?" is all Amy could manage to say.

"I thought you would never make any new friends since you've been acting like a lonely old bag lately." Cream smiled innocently.

"_Old bag!?_"

"I mean even when around others you just seemed so isolated and cold."

"_Old bag!?_"

"It's so unlike you to be that way Amy. You're energetic, you're fun, you're… you!"

"**_A_n _old bag!!!_**"

While the young and blissful Cream continued on her praises with high hopes and a bright smile, Amy loomed over her ready to explode and choke the life out of the clumsy girl.

"Well anyways!" the rabbit gave a bear of a hug to Amy for finally finding a new friend…which seemed to calm her down as well. "I'm glad you're you again! I totally thought I was gonna have to do some kind of intervention or something."

"…_Ok, she gets off with that one. But next time…_"

The friendly bond broke and Cream began descending the stairs.

"Anyways, you're probably right about your friend not wanting to meet me now since he has a bad impression of me but just tell him I said 'hi' anyways. See ya later girl."

And that was that. Cream went her way and Amy sighed, relieved to have gotten past the situation. Cautiously she entered the attic to see Shadow sitting in his usual spot in front of his torn portrait of Maria and himself. Closing the door behind her, Amy approached the dark hedgehog hoping that Cream didn't upset him.

"Hey," she said gently. "you ok?"

No response. He was probably still tense. With no underlying intensions, the pink hedgehog knelt down behind the brooding figure and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Don't worry about her, I know Cream." Amy started. "She won't bother you here and I'll make sure of it, so your privacy is safe, ok?"

"You have strange friends…" is all Shadow responded with.

A short laugh came out of the young woman and so she moved next to him knowing he was relaxed now.

"Well I can't say that all of my friends are uh…almost as normal as me but I trust them."

Shadow scoffed glancing at her from the corner of his eye and then back to the portrait.

"If you say so. Just keep her away from here so I don't lose my sanity…again."

It was a smart-ass comment but still she didn't want to laugh out of respect…at least until Shadow started laughing and so they shared a good laugh together. Amy, happy to see that Shadow was unwinding himself a bit. Shadow, glad that he could joke so casually about a his dark past now and finally understand where true happiness came from…himself.

While listening to Cream and Amy's little squabble from the other side of the door, the revelation had hit him as he gazed at his not-so-perfect portrait of Maria. Even though she lived life as a sick girl, she managed to keep herself happy and even smile when she was hurting, physically and emotionally. Shadow understood and knew that fact very well but easily broke down whenever he felt threatened or was in trouble. A poor trait of his that was constantly brought on by The Beast, his nemesis. But now that he was separate from the menace, he could finally experience the true bliss that Maria had and knew in his heart that it would still be there even when danger appeared.

So his tragic past now seemed like an unfortunate victim of a power hungry beast he couldn't get away from. In the end, it wasn't his fault entirely. Not the broken lives, not the people he killed, not even Maria and Professor Gerald's deaths. It wasn't truly his fault but The Beast's and so he had to change his role from the victim to the savior that he had always envisioned himself to be. As a start, the first life he would protect would be the woman next to him, though he dared not tell her. Showing her would be more suitable.

While caught up in the silence, Shadow fearfully lifted a shaky arm reaching out around Amy's shoulders. Suddenly she adjusted herself moving closer to Shadow…his emotions rushed through him like a tidal wave. Just then he noticed her ear twitching and her eyes adverted in his direction. Caught off guard, the nervous hedgehog fell back into the snow and tried to laugh it off nervously. Amy smiled assuming he had only lost his balance… Shadow's secret was safe and figured sitting next to her was just enough.

"_What's going on?_"

Amy's heart began pounding again…but she didn't want to lead Shadow onto her uneasiness. Calmly the hedgehog shifted herself in the snow as her heart continued to rush.

"_Oh gosh! What do to? What to do?_" her conscious panicked.

"_Great…this is just great._"

An unenthusiastic (and nervous as hell) Shadow wanted to break down into little pieces as his already tidal wave emotions swelled even more with feelings of awkwardness and fear. Were these emotions that Amy had too? Did being near him maker her feel **that** uneasy? Maybe if he moved away a bit…

What? He moved away…though it was just an inch.

"_Maybe Shadow just needs the space_." Amy told herself.

It was at that point where she realized just how tense the room had become and decided to relax a little spreading out her legs and reclining back using her hands for support. She noticed Shadow looking towards her and they greeted with nervous smiles as if they were strangers.

Ok, Amy seemed more relaxed. Slowly the dark hedgehog inched his way back over towards her and all seemed well. Seconds later she retuned to her original position, sitting up hugging her knees to her chest…but this time her face was buried in her arms. Was something bothering her? Was she having regrets about leading Cream to Shadow's home? Whatever it was, he felt the need do something. Shadow had to comfort her. Cautiously he lifted his arm once more and even inched closer to the possibly worried hedgehog. His hand had reached the other side of her shoulder and descended ready to land on it providing the com--

"**AH HA!** **I KNEW IT!!!**"

The attic door flew open slamming against snow covered furniture. An eavesdropping (not to mention very rude) Cream had entered, knelt down on one knee pointing a rigid finger at the supposed "suspect", Shadow. The sudden entrance jolted the two hedgehogs from their place and immediately they stood up stuttering with their words. A poor attempt to come up with some excuse when their red faces told a completely different story.

"Ah ha! **Now** I see what's going on here!" Cream announced as loud as she could marching towards the two.

First she waved her finger in Amy's face as if scolding her and then she poked her button nose into Shadow's face full of suspicion.

"The fog's finally clear and the truth has come out…" the rabbit paced about like some important detective.

"W-what are you saying Cream?" Amy said trying to figure out her friend. Apparently there was still a lot she needed to learn about.

"ROMANCE! That's what! I saw the two of you cuddling like boyfriend and girlfriend. _Melting the ice with your heat! **Getting ready to make babies with--**_ eep!"

Suddenly the accusing rabbit was being dragged back to the attic entrance by an irate Shadow. Roughly he pushed her against the wall and blocked her in with his arms on either side of her. Glaring crimson eyes pierced her innocence and the bravery had felt smaller than the ants that the traversed the earth.

"A word to the wise, or in your case the smart-ass." Shadow began in a deep menacing voice. "Keep you nose out of my business and I'll be sure to keep my fangs out of your neck."

"F-fangs?" Cream trembled.

The dark hedgehog leaned in closer with a sinister smile.

"Yeah, didn't Amy tell ya?" he whispered. "I'm a hero by day and a vampire by night."

Just for kicks he added in a nice long lick of his lips sending more chills down the girl's spine. As he backed off, Cream's tan fur was almost stark white and frantically she dashed out, her rapid footsteps echoing down the stairs. Feeling proud of himself, Shadow chuckled under his breath and Amy, left out on all of the fun, questioned his actions.

"Oh that? Just a little exaggeration." He passed by the pink hedgehog casually. "About vampires."

"What? Are you kidding?" Amy couldn't help but smile at the terrible prank.

"Don't worry. If she is the way you say she is, then she wouldn't dare step onto these grounds again." Suddenly he eyed the young woman suspiciously. "Unless you giver her another reason to."

"No, no. I wouldn't Shadow. I said your privacy is safe with me and that's a fact." her smile was sincere but embarrassed from leading Cream to the house in the first place.

Shadow only nodded and returned to his spot in front of the tattered portrait. Amy was just about to leave when suddenly she remembered the strange feelings she had in her heart just moments ago. Emotions that even she couldn't control. Silently she gazed back at her friend and wondered "What if…" It was a stupid thought but just maybe…just maybe…

"H-hey, Shadow?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah?"

The words were right there on the tip of her tongue, but they didn't want to leave or she didn't want to let them out. Realizing how long she was taking to ask her question, Amy knew that it was too late now and decided to drop the matter.

"Um never mind. I'll be back tomorrow, ok?" she came back quickly.

"Sure. Later."

Amy left the attic, descended down to the first floor, and was out the door. Striding across the front yard, her anxious heart was still recovering a bit from the embarrassing moment and then she stopped and looked back at the Victorian home. Dare she even whisper the word in her mind? She couldn't ask him about it so why bothering thinking it? Yet it slipped and the tiny voice in her head whispered the taboo word:

"_Boyfriend…_"

Her cheeks turned a light shade of red and, as if to hide her face from the house, she turned and left quickly smiling a bit.


	8. Maria, Amy, and the Path In Between

Final Vision

Event 8: Maria, Amy, and the Path In Between  
Two days after the encounter at Shadow's home and no sign of The Beast at all. The repairs on Amy's motorcycle were slowly coming along…the only drawback of being in a small town. Yet somehow the pink hedgehog didn't mind as she finally got used to the small town life and decided to join Cream in her outings. Shadow seemed pleased with the mood as well. Peaceful and quiet, just the way he wanted it. Though the silence did make part of him uneasy about a surprise attack from The Beast, it was easily brushed off on a whim.

He found it easier on him when his thoughts were occupied by images of the enchanting Amy Rose; a very unlikely girl who managed to free his mind and capture his heart all at once. Though she was no longer that little girl but a full grown woman. Despite the changes she went through, her mere presence still managed to excite and ignite Shadow giving him energy similar to what Maria once gave him.

"_Hmm…interesting_."

Even more captivating about Amy was when she spoke. Before…it was slightly annoying but showed her true intentions. Now, her voice seemed to fit the mood of the moment. Happy when the air was light, sorrowful when the air was heavy, and determined when the air was thin. It was as if she gained the ability to control herself and thought situations through before speaking her mind…very reminiscent of Maria.

"_Ok, maybe it's just a coincidence._"

Every thought he had of her since she reappeared a few days ago also came packaged with a tangent memory of her that stirred his five senses. The touch of her soft hair when she pleaded for his forgiveness when they first met. The smell of her fragrance when she embraced him when he needed the courage to battle The Beast in the attic. The sound of her sweet voice whenever she asked about his well-being. The sight of her rushing to his side during The Beast's second attack even if she was putting herself in danger. The taste…the taste…

"_The taste of her lips from when I'll kiss her…_"

…Did he just hear himself correctly?! When he'll kiss Amy?! No, no he can't be thinking that way! There's no way she could have those kinds of feelings for him! Especially when he's dead!! Shadow immediately shook those thoughts out of his head. Acting on them could ruin his friendship with Amy…he cherished what they shared.

"_But…I wish we could share more…_"

So that was it. It was hard to deny what his heart wanted, but why with Amy? What was it about her that made him so attracted to her besides the obvious? There had to be some underlying reason, some hidden truth, something about Amy that made Shadow feel…as if he knew her in another time.

Turning his attention away from an icy attic window, Shadow gazed at his portrait of the fair-skinned girl and himself. Deeper and deeper he stared into her fading blue eyes and before he knew it…there she was; Amy Rose. Shadow suddenly found himself slipping out of the iced chair he was sitting in and slid on his back into the snow.

"Is it even possible?" he questioned his unearthly revelation.

He quickly sat up for another look at the portrait. Maria was still there by his side, yet the dark hedgehog continued to wonder. Wonder if his attraction to Amy was because of the small similarities she shared with his beloved Maria. He had only known the new Amy for a few days but tiny signs were there, signs that told him she was his new "Maria".

Just as he was about to give the thought a second chance, he could faintly hear a visitor pounding against his front door. A slight grumble of annoyance was all that was uttered as he whisked out of the attic and with the grace and speed of a fast gale, traveled to the foyer just in time to see the door open. Thoughts of rage and anger flew into his mind as he thought of ways to scare off the intruder. His crimson eyes glowed, a cold aura danced from his body, and his red scarf hung gently from his neck as his reminder of why he had to protect the house. The oak door swung open slowly, anticipating the revealing of the intruder's identity. A swirling energy of ice began to form in Shadow's hand and he was ready to launch it at the drop of the hat, raising his hand up, taking aim, and finally…

"H-hello? Is anyone here?" the timid voice of a girl called in.

Cautiously, a tanned rabbit with her auburn ponytail and brown eyes peered into the house. Her innocent eyes searched the foyer until they fell onto Shadow who was just as curious and probably shocked to see her as well.

"Oh! H-hi. Amy told me that you usually don't like any strangers into your house but I'm not really a stranger, so to speak." Cream said for an introduction as she stepped in shaking a bit.

"Uh yeah. I remember you. You're Amy's loud and obnoxious friend, right?" Shadow forced out a smile to try and calm the girl remembering his "threat" to her.

"Heh. Yeah that was me. Well I just wanted to stop by and apologize for it." Cream paused biting her lip. "Uh yeah…so I'll just be on my way."

In her rush to leave, the rabbit felt a strong force stop the front door from closing. Immediately she looked back to see a concerned Shadow on the other side who looked as if he had more to say.

"Wait! Don't go yet." he quickly spoke. "I should apologize as well. That threat about me being a vampire…well I stretched the truth a little. I just didn't want you to do that again, that's all."

A vague stare was all Cream could give him but she nodded in understanding. The silence between the two was awkward but they knew that nothing more could be said and so Cream turned on her heel and left. It was then when Shadow felt his conscious push him to do something out of his nature.

"Hey! Cream was it?" he called out to her opening the door a little wider.

The teen stopped and turned back.

"If you want…I could show you my home." His voice was also shaky but saying it felt like the right thing to do.

It took some time but the vague face on Cream warmed up to a cheerful one and she jogged back to the door.

"Really!? You mean it?" She seemed to bounce uncontrollably in place and Shadow couldn't help but crack a small smile.

"Yeah. Come on in."


	9. What We Leave Behind

Final Vision

Event 9: What We Leave Behind  
The energy Cream brought into the house was a breath of fresh air for the hedgehog. As he showed her around, she openly engaged herself with the scenery getting a closer look at dusty objects and touching whatever she was allowed to touch. Shadow did worry a bit but Cream constantly promised him (with her own salute) that she wouldn't cause any trouble while she was there. From the living room, to the second floor rooms (except for Maria's), and all the way to the snow filled attic, Cream was pretty much given a grand tour of what was left of Shadow's home.

As the two climbed the last of the ice covered stairs, Cream entered the attic and danced around kicking up snow.

"Wow! This place is so cool." she exclaimed. "You say you've been here for over fifty years? Gosh, you look totally young and awesome to be that old!"

Shadow chuckled. Not out of humor but more out of slight discomfort of her choice of words.

"Yeah, well there's a reason for that." he replied.

"Really? What is it?"

"I'm…I'm dead."

He waited for some sort of outrageous response from the girl but to his surprise she remained silent. To fill the uneasy air he felt settling in, Shadow decided to speak.

"I know it may be a little hard for your to understand but my past…is very complicated. You probably won't be interested in hearing--"

"Actually I kinda want to know…" Cream seemed calm and sincere with her interruption.

Another surprise to the dark hedgehog. He breathed out gathering his thoughts while searching the room until he found a large chair to the right covered in snow and frost. He dusted off the powdery substance and took his seat while Cream situated herself in front of him like a child waiting for a bedtime story. Silently she waited for the hedgehog to start while he gazed off out the windows on the other side of the room. His memories returned to him and he began to tell his sorrowful tale.

* * *

Clear across town in the windswept fields that were the outskirts, Amy had decided to take a short stroll around but somehow found herself out here instead.

"Memories…" her lips spoke as another autumn breeze blew by her.

And memories certainly did come back to her by the dozens. But more specifically those that took place in the wilderness she could see in the distance. It wasn't really a wild forest before her but a small cluster of trees. It was there ten years ago where Amy had ventured out after Shadow who was on the verge of losing his mind. She didn't know what brought him back to his senses but whatever did, she was very grateful for.

A content smile was on her face as she remembered the courage Shadow had at the time. Once more she observed the scenery and laid eyes upon the graveyard sitting at the edge of town. She recalled clearly the events that conspired there. Shadow's heroic rescue of her from the giant snake that haunted him and their second trip back to an unmarked grave where the remains of his friend Maria possibly laid.

It was all very nostalgic for her but at the same time she could see the emotional scars that were left at these places. Scars of pain, anger, and fear scattered about as aftermath leaving Amy to realize what she left behind along with her memories.

"So that's it. Our weak emotions. We leave those behind every time we find the courage within ourselves to achieve the impossible in a situation."

* * *

"We gain one thing but not without leaving behind another in return. When we each go through a change like that, yes the pain still exists within us, but with proper healing it fades over time. However when we return to the source of the grief, the "scars" reappear." 

Shadow paused exhaling heavily while a captivated Cream waited for his next words. The fact that she was still attentive even after hearing of his dark beginnings brought forth a warm feeling within Shadow. Part of him was grateful that another soul was willing to listen to his long-winded tale.

"For most, the memory that returns to them is what usually caused the pain in the first place. It fades but sometimes it doesn't work that way for everyone. That's what this room once stood for ten years ago. The hurt of what I had done to my family and other innocent lives fifty years ago still remained in here. However, I couldn't remember what I did or the life that I lived. But even that didn't stop the harsh voices I heard from confusing me and forcing me out of here."

"Why couldn't you remember? Wasn't your past important to you?" the rabbit questioned.

He shook his head, a forlorn expression on his face.

"At the time I knew nothing of who I was. All I knew was that I existed and that I needed to feed off of others to live. There were times when I would black out and wake up in this room. But I never knew why until Amy came into town with her friend, Sonic. They pushed me to my limits forcing me to suffer from the pain my conscious protected me from and the wishes of my former self…"

"The snake and the crow." Cream finished.

"Right. Those two did whatever they could to stop me and kill me but I remained too stubborn in my belief that I would be free from my cursed life if I destroyed them and found my way into this room. I succeeded but it was all too late…and Amy…she had to…"

Cream watched as Shadow squeezed his scarf in his hands. A single teardrop fell onto the old cloth and then it was over. Shadow regained his composure wiping his watered eyes. Cream smiled towards him for comfort.

* * *

Comfort…it what she enjoyed bringing to Shadow, it was the life she was accustomed to living when she was around him. 

Still out in the fields but now laying among the tall, tanned grass, Amy watched the clouds pass in the midday sky. She didn't think she would spend **this** much time outside but somehow…thoughts of Shadow filled her with a blissful innocence and she couldn't see why she would want to go anywhere else when all was perfect where she was. Another memory of Shadow's heroics flashed in her mind and like a schoolgirl, she giggled and rolled onto her side twisting a lock of hair in her finger.

"_Perhaps… just maybe…_" is what her childish mind whispered as she blushed.

Before she wasn't sure of how to treat these "childish" emotions she felt for her friend but now, out here in the fields, she knew what to do with them: let them blossom. She could easily recognize the warm feelings within her. They were similar to what she felt when she first fell head over heels for Sonic as a girl. Though she still had some feelings left for the blue hero, her affections for her dark hero weaseled their way into her heart and took over.

"_I guess I can't deny it anymore._" she thought. "_He's wonderful and gentle. Has a caring heart and loves his home._"

Suddenly she imagined herself in his arms. The two of them relaxing in peace just below the old portrait in the attic. Shadow gently brushing aside her hair and pressing his cold lips against her forehead as she slept.

"I will always love you." Amy mouthed the words Shadow would say to her and again her face turned red.

"_My last memories of him may have been depressing and hurtful, but what he left behind was a love that will never die. I must do all that I can to protect that love I have for him._"

* * *

"…Can I ask you a question?" Shadow asked his listener leaning forward in his chair. 

"Sure!" Cream smiled.

"If you were in Amy's shoes ten years ago and you did what she did…would you still come back here searching for closure?"

At first Cream opened her mouth but then realized the weight of the question. Pulling the trigger on a dear friend who had already suffered so much? Could she really do such a thing and live on. Being the simple girl she always was, Cream found it difficult to answer the question and it showed on her face. Immediately Shadow stepped in and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Forget it." he said. "I guess not everyone has an answer to that question."

The teen nodded in agreement. "I think Amy is special. The fact that she found the will to continue on living is amazing to me. I think I would've broken down and never forgave myself."

Her answer spoke the truth and Shadow understood her point. He was fortunate to have someone like Amy by his side all of those years ago and for her to return after so long and stand by his side once more proved how much he meant to her.

"I can't believe it." he murmured.

"What was that?" Cream's ears perked up a little.

"It's like some strange miracle for Amy to be almost like her."

The rabbit questioned his thoughts but she went unanswered as Shadow stood up and approached his portrait. He was in awe as his fingers ran across the faded colors of Maria and himself. Cream joined him and looked at the picture as well.

"Is that your friend Maria?" she asked curiously.

"Yes." He processed his "miracle" hypothesis quickly and a possible answer came to him. "Perhaps…this is a sign that it's almost over. That the end of my journey, the **real** end, is here and I can finally rest."

Silently Cream looked on and wondered if he was right. His spirit had suffered for so long, could it possibly handle anymore pain?

"Maybe it is Shadow. And if so, you'll be with your family again." a hopeful smile reassured the hedgehog.

He nodded returning the smile and turned to leave the attic. As he headed for the door, something grabbed his attention from the corner of his eye. Immediately he looked out the window…just then his hopeful expression changed to one of anger and without saying a single word to his guest, he rushed out of the room and down the stairs.

"Shadow!" Cream called out after him.

She, too, ran to the spot Shadow stood in and looked out the windows that faced the front of the house. Everything seemed ok out in the town, so just what did he see that made him rush out? She took a few steps closer and even squinted her eyes.

"I don't get it…" she said to herself…but then something appeared.

Just outside of town in the grassy fields a black fog slowly appeared. As baffled as she was, Cream wasn't sure what was going on but was positive that that dark cloud was what made Shadow leave in such a hurry.

"Is that what they're so worried about?" the girl asked herself.

The only ones who knew the answer were Amy and Shadow. But first and foremost, she would have to help them with whatever trouble was brewing outside…her heart commanded her to do so.


	10. Third Fighter

Final Vision

Event 10: Third Fighter  
Confusion spun about her as she tried to find her way out of the heated fog. Her heart pounded against her ribcage begging to get out. Drops of sweat ran down her face and seeped out of every pore on her body. It was literally a hellish nightmare where the worst of it was knowing that The Beast was in the fog with her but there was little she could do.

"Shadow, where the hell are you?" Amy asked as she jogged in what seemed like endless circles.

She fell to her knees exhausted and on the verge of passing out. It was then when she heard the growl of her adversary and she panicked.

"_Get up! Get up!_" her conscious yelled at her but it was no use.

Her muscles were worn out and couldn't give her the last bit of energy she needed to escape. A faint orange glow appeared before her growing brighter and brighter. Her heart was out of control beating wildly at what could possibly be the last thing she saw before the tunnel of light. Quickly she ducked down her head ready for the heat of the fireball…

"…_Hurry up. Just hurry up already…_"

She could hear the fire building up…but was interrupted by The Beast's roar. Amy looked up and within the fog she could see flashes of blue light accompanied by cries from the monster. Suddenly a black hedgehog flew from the fog and slid to a stop next to Amy.

"You ok?" Shadow asked in a hurry.

"Yeah but--"

Just like that, he went back into the battle with everything he had. Shadow leapt into the air, a sphere of ice energy in his hand pulled back and ready to go. As the fierce eyes of the monster closed in on the hedgehog a grand explosion occurred of blue and red lights and the cries of The Beast could be heard. Surrounded by a whirlwind of confusion, Shadow fought off the monster's physical attacks; left, right, jump, dodge! He hadn't been in a fight this fierce since his scuffles with Sonic years ago. Quickly he launched another ice attack into the fog…but it vanished silently.

"_Damn! I mi--_" A roar of fire rushed into his back sending him air born towards the heated jaws of his fast moving enemy.

There was no stopping his flight, his fate was inevitable. So Shadow did the next best thing…

Darkness enveloped him as well as a disgusting amount of saliva. Suddenly he could feel the already hot temperatures rising: the monster was getting ready to fry him for good!

Outside Amy frantically ran through the fog listening carefully for any sounds of the battle but when she feared the worse, she had to take a chance.

"Shadow!!" she shouted. "Shadow where are you?"

To her right she got a response. The Beast's cries could be heard but she saw nothing. Just then something glowing from above caught her eye. What seemed to be a large spiky ball of ice was heading for her so she leapt out of the object's way as it landed with a thunk like a weighted ball. Silence befell the area and Amy looked up from her cover to see the frosty sphere sitting before her. Cautiously she approached the object in near disbelief. It stirred and the hedgehog jumped with a squeak. More and more the frozen object began to move until it unwrapped itself into a familiar dark hedgehog.

Taking in gasps of breath, Shadow was on his knees breathing in as much as he could while his entire backside was covered in ice spikes.

"_Oh! So that's what he did._" the realization had hit Amy. "_He must've curled up into a ball and created the shield of ice around him for protection."_

As Shadow stood he shook off the excess ice on his back and then checked his scarf for any damage that may have been done to it. Suddenly he found himself in the clutches of a grateful Amy…and his face quickly turned a light red.

"Ah um Amy, Amy back off. I-I need to finish off…um…yeah." he stuttered before fleeing into the fog.

"Oh…ok…" the young woman seemingly mumbled to no one.

"_He came for me…he left his home and came for me…_" She too turned red in the cheeks.

Just then the fighter within Amy woke up and alerted her to the dangers Shadow faced…she was obligated to go in and help anyway she could.

A snowy aura wave drove off another attack from The Beast and Shadow waited anticipating a counter twice as powerful. However, he heard soft footsteps approach him from behind and turned his ears as well as his head. Through the dark fog Amy appeared and with no explanation stood back-to-back with her friend.

"I guess you won't take 'no' for an answer." the cold apparition spoke.

"Shadow, you've known me for too long to know the answer to that." his companion answered.

"Right, right." He sighed heavily. "So what's the plan?"

"Let's see… You fight and I keep watch for anything suspicious?"

"Sounds good to me."

A quiet woosh was all Amy heard. Her eyes looked towards her back and all she caught was a glimpse of Shadow's scarf fading quickly into the fog. Once again it was silent but the young woman feared nothing. She knew Shadow would eventually find The Beast in the fog. Sure enough he did. Fierce growls were heard off to her right, along with faint flashes of blue and red. Though nothing was clearly visible to her, the hedgehog's emerald eyes followed the sounds and faint flashes as they traveled around her. Suddenly a loud explosion occurred and Shadow came sliding in from the fog and stopped at her feet.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah. I think he's getting stronger." the black hedgehog staggered to his feet. "I could've sworn that last atta--"

"GET DOWN!!!"

From nowhere, literally, Shadow and Amy were tackled to the ground by a third party out of the path of a blazing fireball. Demanding to know who it was Shadow was the first to stand, eyes glowing a cool but fierce blue…but then they returned to their normal red color.

"Cream?" he asked feeling an onset of speechlessness setting in.

"What?" Amy followed looking up from her ground position.

Faced down on the ground just before the two was the tan-colored rabbit, her ponytail strewn about across her head and dirt marks covering her clothes. Slowly Cream raised her face to her elders and laughed nervously hoping that neither one of them would scold her.

"Hey." she spoke softly but with a hint of nervousness. "Thought I come in and help out."

"No, no, no…" Amy barely whispered to herself and she crawled towards her friend in disbelief.

With frenetic eyes and a strong grip, Amy grabbed onto the young rabbit and inadvertently shook the girl in her fearful state.

"HOW!?" the hedgehog demanded. "How is this possible!? You're not supposed to even see all of this!"

"But I can…and it does explain a bit about your behavior lately." Cream answered earnestly.

There was little room for response as the girls suddenly found themselves being grabbed by Shadow and running off into the fog.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked. "Isn't the monster over here? We're not going to take it on directly, are we?!"

"Exactly." Immediately the three came to a halt with Shadow pulling the girls to his side. "Just hold your ground. Don't let anything scare you 'cause he'll know and come after you."

A collective "Huh?" was shared by Amy and Cream but Shadow failed to respond as he dashed off bravely into the dark fog. Feeling a little regretful of her decision, Cream look to her friend for some guidance. Amy was just as nervous…but rather let her faith in Shadow build her strength which was passed on to the teen.

"Don't worry Cream. Shadow wouldn't lead us into trouble if he thought it was too dangerous for us."

The pink hedgehog pulled out a short metal rod from the inside of her jacket. A simple push of a small red button and in the blink of an eye it quickly extended out several feet with a large cylindrical head appearing finishing off the weapon. It crashed into the earth with a loud THUD and Cream reacted with a short hop.

"Besides, I haven't even broken this one in yet."

A smile appeared on Cream's face as she suddenly felt the courage to do anything return to her. With a heavy heave of her metallic weapon, Amy gripped the handle with both of her hands and dashed off to join Shadow leaving behind and awed Cream.

"Here I come Shadow! Leave some for me!" the hedgehog shouted.

Her fierce battle cries were soon drowned out by a thunderous swoosh from above. The ground shook as The Beast landed behind the two halting Amy and Cream in a tense moment. Seconds flew by before a light blue sphere shot past them with an icy trail in it's wake. Quickly it vanished into the fog but quickly returned accompanied by a monstrous roar. Falling out of his spherical form, Shadow tumbled across the grass with chunks of ice falling off his spines. Though beaten and tired, he couldn't give up yet and struggled to his feet.

"Hey, maybe you should let Cream and I help." Amy suggested joining Shadow's side.

Maybe that was it…maybe they had to do more than just believe. At least that's what Shadow thought.

"Fine then. Stay alert and do what comes naturally to you." the dark hedgehog addressed his female counterpart. "Cream! How about a trick shot?"

"Huh?" is all the rabbit could answer with.

In a single leap, Shadow vaulted into the air and rolled into his ice ball form coming back down towards Cream. Suddenly it hit her and quickly she positioned herself right under Shadow. At the right moment, she used every ounce strength in her back and legs to back flip into the air giving the icy sphere a powerful kick before landing on her feet. With piercing speeds, Shadow sliced through atmosphere as he sped off into the darkness striking The Beast dead on. A couple of more sounds of struggle, along with flashing red and blue lights, occurred before the hedgehog returned to the girls once more in his sphere form rolling to a stop on the ground. It was Amy's turn and she took her place, hammer in both hands and pulled back for maximum impact. Every muscle in her arms ached as she brought the hefty tool about striking the ice ball squarely and sending it right back for battle. Another roar was heard and some more fighting occurred… Silence filled the area. The girls exchanged concerned eyes before taking off in the direction of the battle.

Gradually Shadow came into view through the arduous fog, no longer in his sphere form, small fragments of ice on his spines, and his red scarf flowing in the wind.

"Shadow?" Amy was the first the speak.

Immediately he stopped the girls with a single hand…and there they stood waiting. Just before their eyes the fog began to lift, slowly but surely.

"Hey, the fog's going away." Cream noted. "How come?"

"Because The Beast is a coward." Shadow replied shortly. "He uses it to hide himself whenever he attacks refusing to look into the eyes of his opponent. When he sensed the courage of all three of us, he knew he was no match for it and left. My job here is done."

The dark hero was just about to leave but felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. His eyes wandered back to the caring face of Amy who then leaned in and whispered into his ear.

"Thank you for coming to my side."

Aside from the warmth of her body, Shadow could also feel the intense emotions running through Amy's heart. She wasn't just glad that he came, she was ecstatic by his presence. He wanted to return the feelings but a slight fear in his heart prevented him from doing so and thus he pushed those thoughts from his mind. A single grunt with a nod was all Shadow replied with. He was doing all that he could to suppress his feelings though something told him Amy knew. Soon the fog was completely gone and the sun's rays rained down the three heroes. Shadow breathed feeling at ease but knew in the back of his mind The Beast would return. So until then he would enjoy this brief moment of peace and gently removed Amy's arms from around him.

"I have to go now." he announced walking away. "Stop by if you like."

Cream gave her goodbye to the dark hero which was responded with a nonchalant wave from Shadow. After that, he vanished in a breeze of snow and ice. With her metallic hammer resting at her side, Amy gazed off at the scenery of the small town with Cream joining her side.

"Is that the last time we'll have to fight that monster?" the teen asked.

"No, he'll come back. He has a reason to come back." the pink hedgehog replied smiling kindly at the girl. Her eyes then adverted back to the town. "But that's all right with me. As long as that reason continues to fight back, then we have nothing to fear."

And if Amy had nothing to fear then she could protect the feelings she had for Shadow and hope to, someday, tell him of them.


	11. The Cupid Investigation

Final Vision

Event 11: The Cupid Investigation  
_Dear Diary,_

_I'm still stuck in this town with Amy and even though I've pretty much been everywhere I can go, it's not really all that boring. After this big fight I was in with Amy, Shadow, and some monster this town isn't looking so bad after all. It kinda reminds me of all the adventures I used to go on with when I was younger. I'm friends with Shadow now so sometimes I go to his place and chill out (literally!) with him. He's not that bad of a guy. A little shy but opens up once he trusts you. He seems really attached to his house and talks a lot about protecting it no matter what. But…I just can't help but wonder what he'll do when the monster is defeated. The only one he needs to protect the house from is the monster, but when it's gone…then what? I think I'll ask him the next time I see him._

_And Amy? Well she's definitely a different person from the girl I knew years ago. She's so mature and seems to think about what she says before she says it. Before, all she used to think about was shopping and Sonic but now…there's, like, other things that are on her mind. I just know there has to be! She's always going out and wandering around town for no reason. But then she changes to someone else when she's around Shadow. Like just the other day when we were at his place I noticed the change. I was just looking around the rooms upstairs and when I went downstairs I could hear them talking in the living room. Amy and Shadow were laughing like school kids as if their lives were just fine. There wasn't any talking of their past or awkward silences. Just…laughter._

_I think it's really amazing that even after ten years of living with their scars, those two can come together and put everything behind them so easily. Not a lot of friendships can endure that kind of strain. But maybe there's a reason behind the strength of their relationship…a romantic reason. I dunno but when those two are together, I also seem to notice something going on whenever they're close. I think it's time I did a little investigating…_

In no time, Cream had made her way clear across town and was on Shadow's property nearly out of breath. She was just a few steps away from the veranda when a thought hit her.

"_Wait! I can't just go in there and start acting suspicious. They'll know something's up._" she thought out carefully. "_I have to be crafty in my approach._"

After some quick pacing, a rather brilliant idea came to the rabbit. Her chest rose and fell with a final breath of confidence (and some luck too). Happily, Cream skipped up the steps and knocked on the door. When no answer came after a few seconds she let herself in, announcing her arrival of course.

"Hey! It's Cream! Mind if I come in Shadow?" she called out innocently.

No reply. He was probable up in the attic with the door closed so she headed upstairs. As she raced up the steps, Cream realized that she had no plan as to how she would "investigate" or what she was "investigating" at all! She just felt the need to poke her nose around Shadow and Amy's affairs.

Her hand firmly grasped the ice covered stair rail as she carefully made her way up the final few steps and entered the snowy attic in calm fashion.

"Shadow?" she asked timidly as to not to disturb the quiet atmosphere…but there was no one there.

Disappointed, Cream pushed the door wide open and huffed resting her knuckles on her hips.

"Where is he?" She felt herself getting slightly ticked. "He has to be somewhere in here!"

Stumped, the teen strolled about the room looking through all of the snow covered objects and even looked out the icy windows. A beautiful day but with no Shadow, or Amy for that matter, Cream couldn't continue with her "investigating".

"_But it's not like I've thought of anything specific to investigate yet_…" she reminded herself.

Another pace around the room and once again she looked out the windows that viewed the backyard… There they were! Quickly she moved closer to one of the windows, climbing on top of the mountain of junk a furniture that was gathered near the window, and pressed her button nose against the solid ice. Exiting the forest in laughter was Amy and Shadow strolling across the backyard towards the house. Now was her chance. In her hurry to catch them together, Cream quickly crawled back down the junk mountain and sped off towards the door where she flew down the attic stairs and then the seconds set of stairs to the first floor.

Her heart raced with excitement too much for her to handle. Cream ended up skipping the last two steps and just leaped over the railing taking off down the narrow hallway towards the kitchen. She could hear the creaking of the back door opening.

"_Perfect timing!_"

The fading old kitchen door flew open slamming against the wall behind it, and even startled Shadow who had just stepped in.

Wait, only Shadow? In that instant her heart sank…slightly.

"Cream?" Shadow spoke first. "What's wrong? Is there trouble?"

It took her a few moments to assess the situation but her wild spirit finally calmed down.

"Oh uh…no, nothing's wrong." A smile masked her slight disappointment. "I was looking for you all over the place! Where'd you go?"

Shadow entered the kitchen closing the door behind him. "I went out on a walk with Amy. We went into the forest and talked. It was nice."

"Glad you two had fun." Immediately Cream moved in for the "kill" grabbing onto Shadow's arm rather harshly. "But seriously, perfect timing on coming back. I think we should have a little talk together."

Even though Cream was her sweet usual self with her sweet smile, Shadow couldn't help but wonder if she was up to something.

With no other choice, Shadow was dragged out of the kitchen by an eager girl and back upstairs to his attic domain. The door slammed shut, two chairs and a small round table were dragged out to the center of the room. Cream sat Shadow in one seat and herself right across from him. An eerie silence, one that managed to send a chill up Shadow's spine, was in the air as the dark hedgehog stared into the happily gawking eyes that seemed to look into his soul…or whatever was left inside of him. The huge smile Cream had on her face was just as unsettling thus garnering the response of a blank stare from her interviewee.

"So…" the rabbit spoke in a drawling voice still holding that creepy smile. "Anything _special_ you'd like to talk about?"

"What?" Shadow replied, his ears folding against his head in uncertainty.

"Don't play with me. There's gotta be _something_ you want to talk about…or maybe _someone_." She even added in a couple of winks hoping that he would catch on.

And judging by the blank stare…nothing.

"You're obviously having one of your weird days again. Maybe you should leave and rest for a while."

Just as Shadow stood up, Cream grabbed his wrist begging him with her eyes to sit back down. There was no need for her to use words, he got the message and returned to his seat with a sigh.

"Ok, so what is it that you want?" the hedgehog asked.

"Heh. Yeah I guess getting to the point would be a little more useful." Since Shadow doesn't pick up on hints too well. "What I wanted to know was…how are things between you and Amy?"

"Amy? Things are just fine. Why ask?"

Well, here we go. Into the deep end of the conversation.

About twenty minutes past and Cream was happily waving goodbye to Shadow. She exhaled quite pleased with how well her interview went with him and was starting to understand a little more about the connection between Shadow and Amy.

"_It's as if destiny brought us together._" she recalled a statement from Shadow during their talks.

"That may be…" Cream placed a calming hand over her heart but then formed a powerful fist of determination. "But I won't assume anything yet. Not until I hear from Amy!"

Once again she was off to search for the pink hedgehog and hopefully complete the "mission" she set out for herself.

Cream searched far and wide across town and even asked if anyone had seen a "pink hedgehog". Most of the answers dismayed her until she ran across a small elderly woman.

"A hedgehog? With pink hair you say?" the nearsighted woman parroted.

"Yeah! Have you seen anyone like that ma'am?"

The old woman removed her tiny round glasses and cleaned them off before returning them to her face.

"Well I'm not sure about this 'hedgehog' you're talking about but I did see a woman with pink hair walking that way."

A shaky finger pointed off down the street towards the graveyard that rested on the other side of town. The teen quickly thanked the elder and took off with high hopes that the "woman with pink hair" was Amy.

Red and white shoes treaded into the graveyard. Remembering Shadow's story and his battle in the graveyard, Cream was sure that Amy would be by here reminiscing on her past.

"_And if she isn't I'm going to scream my head off!_" the conscious of the drained teen spoke.

She must've passed at least twenty or thirty graves before she climbed to the top of a hill and noticed the striking pink hair of her friend below standing out among the dull surroundings.

Cream scampered down the hill and leapt over a tombstone in her path. She raced beaming with excitement…but suddenly the glow disappeared as she moved closer to the kneeling figure. She was just a few shy feet from a somber Amy and Cream's ears lifted slightly to the sounds of hushed whispering. She was in prayer. Remembering her mother's teachings, Cream stopped all movement in revered silence.

The angelic clouds passed over the girls watching them serenely. Finally Amy stirred and stood up utter a few final words to the tombstone before her.

"Everything's ok Maria." Cream could hear her voice. "Shadow can handle himself down here."

When she turned to leave, a startled yelp came from the hedgehog.

"Oh! Cream, I didn't notice you were here." Amy gave a faint smile.

"So is that where Maria is?" the curious rabbit leaned over to glance around Amy.

"Maybe. Her name's not on it but Shadow's pretty confident it's her." Her voice dropped to an ominous tone. "He remembers how brutal her death was and how even he couldn't recognize her."

A dismal sigh came from the girl but her friend tried to keep up her spirits with a smile.

"She's somewhere peaceful now so no frowns, ok?" Amy beamed. "It's what Shadow's asked of us."

Cream happily nodded in agreement and together they left discussing happier matters. Of course Cream hadn't forgotten her "mission" though. Being careful not to act too suspicious since, unlike Shadow, Amy could pick up easily on any funny behavior, the teen had to be careful and ease the interview into their conversation.

"You and Shadow went into the forest…See anything special out there?" Cream asked nonchalantly.

"Nothing out of the usual though the weather did make everything nice." Another thought came to Amy as her memory came back to her. "Oh! We did walk all the way through to the other end and saw this **huge** field of wildflowers! You should've came with us."

A simple smile was all Cream could respond with. Now she had to go in with the big questions.

"Um Amy?" the young rabbit twiddled her fingers. "I know you and Shadow are close but…have you ever wanted to be closer to him?"

"Closer?"

It was a few seconds before Amy responded. A few seconds that rattled Cream's nerves a bit.

"Well…there are moments that have brought us together. Then there's the fact that we do understand each other better than anyone else. But closer? I don't know. I kinda like where we are right now with being friends."

Her words were impartial but her body language said something different…and Cream took notice to this. The way Amy twisted her hair in her finger. How her eyes looked about in a coy manner. Even the small smile she showed at the last bit of her statement.

"Are you sure about that?"

The two came to an abrupt halt as Cream jumped in Amy's path with her question. Taken aback, the hedgehog blinked and tried to answer the best she could.

"Well, maybe…" Amy sighed and walked around her friend, her eyes towards the ground.

Quickly Cream followed and asked again but was met with a very different response.

"Cream! Please…I…I just don't know about Shadow and I. Just being friends is ok with me for now."

And with that she took off quickly returning to the hotel. She didn't want to say it but it was written all over her face and Cream knew the words were right on the tip of the hedgehog's tongue.

"_But you want more than that, right Amy?_"

_Dear Diary,_

_Well my investigating was somewhat successful today. I say somewhat because while I did get some answers from Shadow…Amy was a little reluctant. Though I did learn a few interesting facts about those two. Like Shadow for instance. Whenever he talks about Amy he gets this weird look in his eyes like he's in a trance or something. Quite an impression to leave on him. Oh, and he compared her to Maria (his friend from years ago) a lot. The similarities between those two were kinda creepy. The fact that Shadow found inspiration in them both. How they accept Shadow for who he is. The love Shadow has for both of them is the same as well…sort of. And it goes on even to their favorite color: red. It's like Maria was reborn as Amy or something like that. Other than that, Shadow really believes that they were fated to meet each other and talked a lot about hoping to be with her forever. So it's pretty obvious that he loves her…so why hasn't he told her yet? Oh well. Moving on._

_I found Amy at the cemetery across town. She was praying to some grave and then I found out that it was Maria's grave. Actually, her name wasn't on it but I did hear Amy whisper her name and something else. I guess she cares about her too since she knows Shadow so well. After that, I talked with her a bit and then started asking her the same questions I asked Shadow. But when I got around to asking her about her feelings for Shadow…she suddenly got nervous. Then she started babbling on about just being friends but she was totally faking it. I could tell! The way she was acting and how she had that same weird look in her eyes that Shadow had…she's totally crushin' for Shadow! But when I tried to get it out of her she got all defensive and just stormed off._

_I can't figure it out but…it's as if those two don't want to admit that they like each other. What's up with that? I think that they totally deserve to be together after all that they've been through._


	12. His Voice

Final Vision

Event 12: His Voice  
_Shadow… can you hear me? Can you hear my voice… the voice that you recognize? You should. I've always been here with you. Seeing everything you see. Feeling everything you feel. Knowing your every thoughts. Quite bothersome don't you think? But what really is bothersome is the fact that you just won't go away. No matter how much turmoil I throw in your path, despite all of the hate you have lived with…you still exists. It's not right and you know that very well. This is a cut-throat world where only the strongest survive and clearly I am more powerful than you. Always have been ever since my creation. I deserve every right to be in your place. Watching over this town and enslaving everyone in my power, but that fool of a professor. He had to…restrain me inside that pathetic shell that was your body. To exist in such a fragile form with an even more fragile creature controlling it. Such an embarrassment._

_But now that we're both free in our own existence, I can finally have my revenge upon you. Play with your mind, your loved ones. Torture you more than ever before. I will twist the reality of every life in this town, bring their nightmares into existence. All so I can see you struggle and squirm with the guilt of not being their "hero" for I know that's what you want. You don't say it but you want to be loved by all, not just those close to you._

_Shadow, are you still there? For I will always be. And just so you don't forget I'll start my little game off with someone close to you, someone you care for. She will suffer under my spells and you will hear her every scream. Try to save her…if you can._

His eyes opened startled by the deep, foreboding voice. Quick glances around his icy sanctuary told him that there was no one else there with him. But the way the voice spoke…the words he used. Shadow knew who it was.

"The Beast…" he whispered.

Somehow that monster had gained the ability to speak to the hedgehog through his mind or maybe he was always capable of doing so but waited until now. Either way, the dark hero understood that it was a direct challenge. That The Beast had thought up new tricks to use to his advantage which was most likely his way of avoiding direct contact with his smaller adversary and the immense power he had gained.

From his kneeling position before his tattered portrait of Maria and himself, Shadow stood and grasped his red scarf in his hand. The first two attacks were just practice. The situation had gone from wary to serious and so an attitude adjustment seemed proper. No longer would Shadow just keep an eye out on things and come to the rescue when trouble started. He had to stay vigilant and stop the trouble before it began. The hedgehog would have to force himself into intense training if The Beast was coming up with more ways to use his powers. It was the only way Shadow would be able to fight back. And as for those he cared for, Amy and Cream, he would have to keep them close to him for they were ideal targets. He would have to inform and educate Cream on the extent of The Beast's powers so she would be prepared. And as for Amy…it was pretty obvious what he would have to do. Though painful, it would be for her own safety. She would just have to understand on her own.

Now the real battle had begun. The battle for the house, the town, and everyone. Just between those two, the fiery monster and the icy apparition, was a battle that would be decided by one factor.

"Which one of us is the strongest?"

…As the sun set upon his humble home, so did it set on his last day of peace.


	13. Under the Radar

Final Vision

Event 13: Under the Radar  
As calm as he wanted to be, Shadow couldn't find the peace within him. Ever since The Beast announced his challenge a few days ago, the hedgehog had been on high alert for anything suspicious or just out of place. He had Amy and Cream keep an eye on things during the day while he prowled about at night. But even the smallest of details that were out of place proved to be false alarms. Failures that only frustrated him and strained his friendship with the girls.

"I know this is something serious Shadow but you can't take your aggressions out on us." Amy said to him after he had lost his temper once. "No amount of forced searches and anger is going to make The Beast give away any hints so you'll just have to be patient while keeping your eyes open."

He didn't want to hear those words but she was right. Diligence was what he needed now…that and a calm mind. Which brought him to where he was right now; seated before the portrait in constant meditation. Shadow had just discovered a way he could pick up on the faintest of The Beast energy. His outward powers may have been increasing but as far as his inner strength was concerned, his opponent clearly had the upper hand what with his mind communication ability. Shadow could only sense The Beast's energy if he physically appeared but beyond that, nothing.

However there was his peculiar ability to sense Amy's heart whenever she seemed to be experiencing great emotions.

"_But that's just…._"

Immediately he pushed the thought out of his head. Meditating and focusing his inner energy was top priority.

Sitting on the veranda steps of Shadow's home, Amy leaned against a support beam twisting a strand of hair and mulling over mixed emotions. She had just gotten out of a heated discussion with Shadow but at the same time was filled with fright over The Beast, fear for Cream, anxious of what could happen next, and despair from something or someone.

Emotionally, she felt drained which also affected her physically leaving the hedgehog unable to go about on her patrol. In a few words, she felt…regressive, nonproductive, and unmotivated. Her insides, as hollow as the darkest cave. Her spirit that kept her hopes up had vanished without a trace. If Amy felt anything, it was her body falling into an endless pit of nothingness swallowing her in darkness.

Soon her eyes became as empty and vacant as her emotions and her breathing shallow.

"_I…don't feel right. I shouldn't feel this way._" her conscious noticed. "_I have to get up, move somewhere. I need to help Shadow keep watch over the town._"

It took a few seconds but she managed to stagger to her feet, aided by the very support beam she had rested on. But why? Why was there so much effort put into such simple movement? Nevertheless, she was up and, therefore, took a few steps away from her perch. However her steps seemed futile despite her noble reasons for moving. Her heart didn't hop or fill with eagerness or hope. Nor could she imagine what Shadow would do if The Beast did show up. All Amy could see and feel…was nothing. A walking mannequin was what she had become with no place for her to go.

"_So why do I walk? Where do I have to go if I'm just…empty?_"

In spite of her questioning, "the mannequin" continued her vague journey leaving the grounds of Shadow's home and heading for the streets of the town. As she emerged onto the main street with bleak steps and hollowed eyes, the world passed her by as if no one else saw her. Eventually the sounds of the busy town drowned out until the silence of her mind was all that could be heard. It was frightening, but "the mannequin" was determined that her spirit would return to her any second and she would be "Amy Rose" again.

…

Time had gone by. She had walked nearly the entire length of town. Not even a hint of her spirit had returned to her.

"_Where am I going? I keep taking these steps, but I don't know where I'm going._"

After a journey of walking, unfamiliar territory surrounded her. The street before her was deserted and lined with plain, identical buildings all probably abandoned.

"_I've never seen this part of town. Was this always here?_"

The autumn air was still and unnerving. Not even a breeze brushed against her cheek. Was this the "suspicious happenings" Shadow told her to keep an eye out for? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Who was she to ask? She couldn't even feel the fear her surroundings gave her so how could she tell the difference between normalcy and suspiciousness?

"_I want to turn back but…what for? There's nothing back there for me so maybe something is waiting for me ahead._"

"The mannequin" reassured herself that her meaningless journey had a purpose. It was the only explanation for why she would continue on in that direction.

Left, right, left, right…

That was how void her steps had become. Just mere sounds in her head. Could she see where she was going? Not anymore. Everything, the sky, the clouds, even the monotonous street she walked upon had faded from her eyes. As far as "the mannequin" was concerned, she walked in darkness heading for nowhere. But she could care less at this point for even her mind strayed from the so-called-purpose she had given herself.

"_Must be…ahead…must be…ahead…_"

Soon she came to a halt staring lifelessly off into the darkness. A warm breeze splashed across her face yet she remained unaffected. Something swiftly moved by her in the darkness and still no movement from her. It circled back around halting right behind "the mannequin" and even brushed up against her flowing hair almost fascinated by it. Still, she let go unnoticed with the same dead look in her eyes. Suddenly from the surrounding shadows, four faint red lights appeared, glowing with softness but in the sharp shape of claws. They moved away slowly preparing for a strike and came towards the young woman at twice the speed…

Yet the red lights disappeared as a grunt was heard in the darkness. From nowhere a faint, blue light appeared fighting off the red claws fiercely until they vanished with a cry of defeat. Still in her place was "the mannequin" totally unaware of what had just happened. The blue light rushed towards her and grabbed her by the arms shaking her. She could hear nothing and felt nothing. More and more the blue light shook "the mannequin" trying to reawaken her spirit, trying to take her from the darkness and even that proved to be useless. So the light stopped its effort and moved away from her.

Pacing as if in deep thought, the light finally stopped for a few seconds…then without hesitation, charged "the mannequin"! She was pushed to the ground, landing on her back, her hair strewn about her face…and still as dead as the night. Suddenly, there it was. The blue light hovered over her in anticipation when finally…

SWOOSH! A streak of light shot into "the mannequin" jump starting her spirit and bringing her out of the darkness. Amy's eyes could see the world again. She could hear the noises of the town in the distance. The wind blew gently across her face and standing before her with his hand held out was Shadow. A look of seriousness was in his eyes.

Quickly, Amy glanced at her surroundings taking them in and realized that she was in the fields and not the strange part of town she had just walked through seconds ago. Still, she was a bit frightened by the realization.

"Shadow…?" she asked the apparition.

"Some sort of spell he used to control you." Shadow looked off towards the town. "Cream told me of a black cloud that had appeared out here so I came here as fast as I could and that's when I saw The Beast about to attack you."

So that's what it was. She should've known. Helped up by Shadow, Amy hugged her friend who only patted her back shortly before the two parted.

"Thanks. So I guess we should be more careful now that he's starting to attack." the pink hedgehog said.

Shadow nodded.

"And we'll have to respond quickly when we do spot his doings."

Shadow nodded again.

"…Shadow--"

"I'll protect you Amy." his crimson eyes met her emeralds. "Cream as well. He's not going to get by me."

With that said, the dark hero vanished in a wind of ice leaving an uneasy hedgehog with taut words on the tip of her tongue.

"Shadow I…"


	14. The Moment We Had

Final Vision

Event 14: The Moment We Had…  
High above the slumbering town in the autumn sky, the sun neared the surface of the horizon giving birth to a healthy array of milky lavenders, soft peaches, and striking clouds of tangerines. Set against the horizon's colors in a hard silhouette was a female figure scouting the rooftops with watchful eyes. In a graceful and silent wind, she leapt from top to top with perfect poise and posture until finally landing onto the roof of an apartment building giving her a 360 degree view of the quaint setting. Her body shivered against her will and she breathed into her palms and rubbed them together to warm her frail fingers.

"…So cold…" her voice whispered out a puff of heated air.

One last look at the town and she was done. With a running start she leapt off the rooftop and made a graceful descent to the pavement. From the light of the sky, an elongated shadow was cast upon the ground spanning at least the length of two compact cars but gradually decreased in size as the jumper touched down. Landing on bended knee, a pair of soft peach ears flopped to the pavement to the sides of the young girl which were promptly tossed back behind her head as she rose.

"Nothing suspicious out here tonight." Cream said. "Better head on back and get some rest."

With the last of her strength, and also some help from the cold weather, Cream dashed the whole four blocks back to the hotel trying to stay in motion even as she stopped to open the door to the room. But just as she had the key just centimeters from the keyhole, the maroon door opened itself and an upset Amy waited on the other side.

"What are you doing out here this early in the morning!?" the hedgehog kept her voice low.

"I'm just worried Amy." Quickly the rabbit pushed her way into the room anxious to feel its warmth. "What happened two days ago wasn't just a shocker, it was also a wake up call for us."

The younger of the two was already on her bed kicking off her sneakers. Amy sighed closing the door and went back to her bed on the far side of the room and seated herself.

"Trying to figure out The Beast's movements and attacks isn't as simple as looking for obvious clues. He may start putting his plan into motion in the middle of the night or at some other time when we least expect it!"

"And what if you're apart of that plan?" Amy replied. "It's the middle of the night, no one in this town can pick up on signs of that monster, and with Shadow still developing his powers to sense him, it'll probably be too late when he finds out you're in trouble. Face it Cream, you're an easy target out there alone."

The young rabbit scooted to the edge of her bed meeting Amy face-to-face.

"So? He managed to get you right in front of Shadow's place and guess who had to figure out that you were in trouble?" A short snort from Amy was all that was returned. "Your reasoning is no better than mine since we're always vulnerable no matter what time it is."

Flustered and exhausted from the small bicker, Amy felt it best to just agree for the sake of her feelings.

"Fine, we're not safe anywhere at anytime. But we do have to work together Cream. Not one of us can take on that thing alone which is why it's important that we stick together and inform each other of what we're going to do."

A simple nod was all that Cream responded with and the girls were on level with each other again. Feeling a sudden oncoming of sleep, Cream yawned once again against her own will and slouched over ready to sleep the moment her head touched something soft and comforting.

"Maybe you're right about that 'sticking together' stuff. All-nighters are pretty tough anyways." In a slothful manner, the teen dragged herself to her pillows and fell into them head first. "Goodnight Amy. I think I'll take the day off."

"The entire day!?"

Amy leapt from her bed to Cream's and shook the slumbering girl but it was no use. She was already in a deep sleep leaving the hedgehog an entire day's work of 'guard duty' over the town. Downhearted, and quite frankly irritated again by her friend's laid back behavior, Amy sulked back to her bed sighing once more. She laid on the mattress to try and at least get in a couple of more hours of sleep.

Daybreak and Amy was up and about with the rest of the citizens making her daily rounds. She had made it apart of her daily routine to stop by Maria's grave and give the departed soul some quick info on what's been happening recently. As useless as it sounded, Amy felt that the girl had to know what became of her "brother". Another stroll up and down the main street and a little after the lunch hour, a visit was made to Shadow's home.

Two gentle knocks came on the iced over door before it opened slowly. Pushing back her hair from her eyes, Amy peered into the room and, just as she expected, saw Shadow meditating diligently before his portrait.

"Hey." she spoke softly. "How's the meditation going?"

"Making progress, though I won't know how much until The Beast shows up again." Shadow responded with closed eyes.

With another smile, Amy entered in admiring the peaceful atmosphere Shadow had in his attic. As she stooped over to observe some of the piled knick knacks covered in ice in a corner, Shadow took notice opening a single eye and quickly closing it the moment she turned back.

"Want to see a new trick I learned?" the dark hedgehog inquired.

"Really? Sure!" Amy approached him hoping to see something small but amazing.

Quickly gathering his inner energy, Shadow focused it creating a blue aura around his body. When fully powered, the hedgehog released a gentle wave of energy from all directions of his body creating a spectacular effect. Snow began to lift up from the floor, icicles that broke off floated in mid-air and furniture closest to the center of the room rose a few feet off the ground as well. Along with everything else, Amy was in the air caught off guard and very unstable floating with her hair dancing about her face. Once the shock of being in mid-air wore off, the young woman took notice to the single snowflakes that mingled about her in wonder. It was as if she was caught in a snow globe.

"Shadow…" The awestruck hedgehog touched a passing icicle. "When did you learn how to do this?"

"A few hours ago. It only has a small radius but if I increased my inner powers…"

"Then you could do this to the entire town." Amy finished off.

Quickly she had gotten the hang of her new zero-gravity status and figured out how to swim around in the small affected area. Unbeknownst to her, Shadow had stood and made a short leap into the air floating along with everything else and still holding up the energy.

"Amy…" he addressed her.

Elegantly, Amy turned in place and her heart leapt. There before her was Shadow in an ethereal presence among the snow holding out his hand towards her, his red scarf swaying around him as if Maria's arms were protecting him from afar. She began to reach out for him, for her heart, little by little making her way towards the one she yearned for. Just for a second and only one tiny second, they were the only ones in the room. In their heavenly world, reaching out for each other…anticipating the touch of their fingers…their palms…and finally their bodies becoming one. Closer and closer…Amy's heart pounded against her ribcage. Closer and closer…Shadow desired for her in his arms. They were there, their fingertips just mere centimeters from each other, ready to make contact, ready to join…

Then it happened, the one moment Amy hoped would never come. The sensations was lost as everything, the icicles, the bits of snow, and floating furniture, crashed to the floor…and so did she along with warm feeling in her heart. As the disheartened hedgehog looked up from her place in the snow, Shadow had lost his glowing aura and was now at the other side of the room looking out the windows in alarm. Her heart ached, she had to know why. Amy quickly pushed herself up calling out Shadow's name, even reaching out to him. But her voice fell on deaf ears as the hedgehog quickly vanished in his wind of snow and ice.

"…_Shadow?_" her heart called out.

In her emotionally weakened state, Amy managed to stand on her own and stumbled over to the windows overlooking the town. She saw nothing, not even a dark cloud of fog. So why would Shadow rush out in such a hurry? Maybe his powers grew enough for him to sense The Beast's powers. If so, then Amy had no time to waste and dashed out of the attic.

Black heels clacked against the pavement carrying the apprehensive hedgehog across the street, round a corner, and face-to-face with the most shocking sight. Horrific screams filled the streets as hundreds, maybe even thousands, of innocent people ran about and writhed on the ground. Children cried, women shrieked, and men gnashed their teeth at some unknown force that Amy couldn't see.

"_Oh my god…_ W_hat's happened to them?_"

Dodging and stepping over innocent victims she couldn't help, Amy felt that she had to seek out Shadow immediately and find out what was going on. As she continued on, something grabbed the sleeve of her jacket and yanked her back. It was a middle aged man crying out in agony.

"HELP ME! PLEASE!"

Tears pours from his red eyes. Caught up in the madness, Amy went with her first instincts and frantically tried to get the man off of her. As she fought off his desperation she caught a glimpse of it. A glimpse of what made the people cry so dearly. In seconds, sweat began to pour from the man's face profusely. Then his skin began to sag and droop melting right off his bone structure. The panicked woman's senses went into overdrive and a scream from the bowels of her stomach surged out through her mouth and even gave her the strength to shove the suffering man away.

Now with only one goal in mind, Amy rushed through the unruly streets shouting the name of her hero.

"SHADOW! SHADOW!"

Her eyes watered over in fear but never slowed her down. Finally a sign of hope came from a side street to her right. Several flashes of blue light lit up a small narrow street and Amy made a beeline in that direction. Upon her arrival she could see Shadow just ahead of her fighting off what seemed to be waves of people either attacking him or pleading for his help…but it was his method of offense that came off as strange.

Instead of shooting his usual blasts of ice and snow, Shadow shot off soft but quick flashes of light at each body that got too close. The ones that were hit would stumble away as if they had just been shocked and then fell to the ground unconscious or greatly dazed and shivering. Still determined to reach him, Amy pushed her way through the crowds and to Shadow who almost attacked her but stopped at the last second.

"Amy!" Shadow quickly sidestepped around her and took out another oncoming victim. "What are you doing here?"

"What's going on Shadow? What's wrong with these people?" Amy said.

"It's Ergos. He's put some kind of heating spell on everyone." He made another shot at another crying person.

"Ergos?"

"His name. It's his name he's given himself." Another attack to a mid-sized woman to his left. "He's challenging my skills and my patience. Seeing if I have what it takes to save all of these people without killing anyone."

Amy ducked low as Shadow sent another blue light over her head to a group of teens that was behind her.

"But what are you doing? How are you saving them?"

"Putting them into a deep sleep. Ergos' spell heats their bodies and so I counter it with a cooling attack that negates the spell. Haa!"

Another two persons went down in a shiver, their skin turning a pale blue. It was then when Shadow felt that it was time to move on. Grabbing Amy by the hand, the two forced their way through an army of moaning and sweating people, flashes of blue light curing them of their ailment. It wasn't until they reached the middle of the main street that they were ambushed. It seemed as if Ergos was catching on and hastened his hostile takeover. Fighting off and curing people as he went, Shadow did all that he could to manage the chaos. Amy was just barely hanging in there, shoving away every hand that pulled and nicked at every inch of clothing and hair.

"Shadow!" the young woman shouted from under a mountain of people. "I can't handle this any longer! Can we just get out of here?"

"Just hang on! I have to save these people before they die!" was Shadow's final words before he sunk beneath a wave of people.

Amy tried to call out for him but she, too, was overpowered and taken under. What may as well have been the end of the duo was only the beginning. From under the pile of possessed bodies came the trademark blue light growing brighter by the second. Suddenly an icy but mostly windy gale threw back the people piling over the hedgehogs, both freeing them and curing all of those affected by the attack. A few stragglers still clung onto Amy, all which were easily taken care of by a few flashes of light from Shadow. Their bodies dropped unconscious and calmly the dark hero lifted up his friend. She didn't even bother to open her eyes as she embraced the black and red hedgehog.

"Shadow…I can't do anything. I can't do anything to save these people. Can we please leave?" Amy wept.

"Don't worry." He placed his hands on her. "Everything will be ok if we stick together."

"_Stick together_" It was those trigger words that had reminded Amy of someone else she cared for: Cream. Without a single word to Shadow, she took off down the street forcing her way through the mobs that came at her. Shadow looked on at a lost for words before returning to his task.

Taking out her metal staff and quickly changing it to her hammer, Amy used the weapon to safely bulldoze her way through the crowds as she neared the hotel.

She shoved away a final small group and was finally at the door to her and Cream's room. The door exploded off it's hinges upon the hammer's command and a desperate Amy stepped into the room. It seemed as if an ambush had just occurred. The small two bed room was turned upside down with bed linen scattered everywhere, furniture smashed into pieces, their personal items destroyed, and gaping holes in the walls and ceilings. Not a trace of the girl was to be found, so Amy went back out into the chaos and ran into--

"Cream!"

Standing along in the half-empty parking lot was a mildly beaten rabbit. Her long ears dangled behind her moving timidly in the wind while her bangs hid her eyes. It was eerie seeing such an energetic girl in a stoic state. Was she dead? Had Ergos gotten to her as well? A single step is all that Amy took before Cream reacted violently. Screaming wildly and flailing her arms, the girl attacked Amy who could only hold up her metal hammer in defense. A few attacks were blocked by the weapon but one scratch got through and so did another that tugged at the pink hair. A short yelp was emitted from the hedgehog and gravity pulled her down to the ground. The oversized hammer clanged upon impact as it spilled from delicate fingers and the onslaught of small but fierce hands continued.

She knew she had to stop Cream but was unable to find the strength for it. So Amy resorted to her last line of defense: Arms covering her head taking the brute of the attacks. In all of the insanity she thought that it was over. That Ergos, upon his first plan of attack, had hit their Achilles Heel. It was then that she heard it; her hedgehog ears heard the truth. Behind the wild screams was a faint cry of help…literally. It was hard to notice at first but Cream wasn't screaming and shouting a battle cry. She was crying desperation, which only increased curiosity in Amy.

Taking a risk of serious injury to her face, the pink-haired woman managed to move an arm and shove Cream away. The girl stumbled back but only for a second or so, more than enough time for Amy get to her feet. As soon as she was up right, Cream came back for a second round. This time Amy's curiosity was confirmed. Her screams were, in fact, cries of anguish as her eyes told the story. Bloodshot eyes with rivers of tears pouring from them.

"AMY! Please get away from me!" her strained voice cried. "I can't stop myself! I don't know what's going on!"

Forced into a dodge roll, Amy moved herself from Cream's path to try and think of some non-violent way to resolve the situation.

"Just calm down Cream!" She warded off an attack. "Shadow is here. He's helping everyone and saving them from this attack. Just hang in there, I'll get him for you!"

"No Amy! It's not that!" The rabbit grabbed onto Amy's arm and slammed her into a nearby car. "This is different from the others! I can't stop myself! Nothing can! You have to get away from me, far away!"

Despite the revelation, she knew that Amy wouldn't understand for the hedgehog didn't leave and still remained there in the parking lot trying to think of some way to save her young friend. Nevertheless, Cream knew what was going on and had to get it through to Amy…no matter what the costs. Allowing the strange force to overtake her, the rabbit ripped the passenger door off of a car next to her and charged at the concerned woman.

"Please! Forgive me!" Cream shouted as she came at Amy.

It was a near miss with the hedgehog sidestepping out of the way, just inches from where the door impacted. Now she finally understood that the entire situation, including Cream's troubles, was just **way** out of hand for her. So she took the only option she had left and ran.

Picking up her hammer along the way, Amy dashed from the scene and managed to outrun Cream who had given chase. Back into the streets she went, this time not holding back as she shoved away the sweating and melting people that approached her. Getting back to Shadow was all that mattered at this point, a goal her heart would gladly fight anyone for in order to achieve. So still being careful but still asserting her authority and rights, Amy pushed and shoved away many and even stopped to fight off a few stronger men. Within seconds her goal was in sight still defending and curing the helpless as they neared him.

"Shadow!"

For a second he glanced at her and immediately cleared away a small perimeter around him with a full circle attack.

"Get over here, quick!" the black hedgehog called back.

Slight relief was felt for Amy could only assume that Shadow must've found a solution to the problem. With haste, she finished off her opponent and rushed for the one she desired. Pressing on, the hedgehog's mind slowly forgot about the frightful beings that surrounded her and hounded her. All she could see in that moment was a fighting ghost who battled with grace and beauty as the misty blue light he used seemingly surrounded his body. Closer and closer she grew until she was--

"Ow!!"

Again her hair was the victim of another's hands and so Amy fell back into battle with more pleading foes.

"Grr… Get away from me!" she yelled at a few. "Shadow! I'm almost there!"

He didn't respond but she was sure he heard her. Finally the path was clear and Amy continued on just as Shadow began to gather up power confusing her a bit.

"_What is he doing?_"

Suddenly Shadow opened his eyes and held out a single hand towards her…Amy's heart skipped a beat. It was just like before back in the attic when he reached out for her from his heart. Only this time his hand was out in desperation, but what kind? Desperation of wanting to protect her? Desperation of saving her from some impending attack? Or perhaps…

"_He just wants me by his side fighting…_"

No matter, she was a short leap from him which was all she needed. Her hammer retracted back into its short rod and using two guys ahead of her as stepping stones, Amy hopped onto them and leapt into that air towards the outstretched arm of the dark hedgehog. Wanting emerald eyes stared deeply into determined crimsons and their fingertips met. In one swift motion, Shadow took Amy's hand and pulled her in swinging her body around until she touched down clinging to him.

"This ends now." is all he said before he released his energy which had created a bright sapphire aura around him.

The next feeling Amy experienced was a sensational movement of wind, snow, and ice envelop her and Shadow. A snowy storm around them so powerful that all Amy could do was shut her eyes and hope to open them in some place peaceful.


	15. Was Only For a Second

Final Vision

Event 15: …Was Only for a Second  
Through ice, not even the soft milky colors of dawn could be seen. It all seemed pitch black in the still sleeping world, but he did not concern himself with it. A blue hue filled the room resonating delicately from the master of the home. Even with his menacing spiky appearance of reds and blacks, all that remained in Shadow was peace, wisdom, and the will to succeed. His goal this time being the defeat of his lifelong enemy, the one that was there with him from birth to carnal death. But the road he traveled to reach it was long and would clearly be filled with tricks, traps, and tribulations.

"_However difficult, I must succeed._" It was his way of staying strong and hopeful.

As the calming light continued its glow, small items trapped under the mounds of snow on the sides of the room jiggled and jolted. Piece by piece they moved, slowly, but surely into the air passing over the source of light and landing in a new location. Like tiny planes flying overhead, the apparition controlled each and ever object that levitated and traveled, safely getting them to their destination with no mid-air collisions. But a slight dent in his concentration and a rusting pocket watch fell from flight and tumbled across the snow ceasing just inches from a tattered but well woven red cloth.

Dirty, worn, and involved in more encounters than it should've been, the sacred red scarf of Shadow's stayed wrapped closely around his neck ever since his discover of it in Maria's abandoned room. Aside from the fading portrait of him and Maria and that he painted, the near-ageless piece of clothing was all that remained of the girl.

"_Though an ugly scar of my sins, this place is now pure of my imperfections and must be kept sacred and protected from him…_" was his resolution for fighting against his adversary.

His meditation continued as he focused intently on the objects that passed as well as the matters in his heart…matters that just wouldn't let go.

"_How am I suppose to protect everyone? I am only one person but…_"

He flinched; another object fell from flight. The small thud from the impact kept him in check. A deep breath in, frustration out, serenity returned.

"_Those girls are endangering themselves…but they're the only ones who have the power to help me defeat that monster."_

A few new objects rose into the air as did his confidence.

"_So I'm responsible for them especially. Meaning that if I fail…_"

Several more flight takers descended into the icy snow. Shadow faltered greatly but determination kept his diligence alive. He gripped his fists and his powers resonated more than ever.

"_I have to trust them. Trust that they know their limits for I am no god of any sorts. I can only take care of the problems that I can see._"

Several minutes past and no doubtful thought entered his mind. Soon the airborne objects began to dance and sway to the emotions in his heart. Some dances happily spinning to a beat while others moved with somber roller coaster motions. But every few seconds one would jitter with the slight anger that pierced his strong heart. Anger caused by fear, uncertainty, and nervousness.

"_But of all the lives I must protect…the one that means the most to me is…_"

Terror rained from the sky as the snow was pummeled with hapless objects that cracked or shattered. Like failed dreams that had fallen from grace, so did the tiny objects that the hedgehog kept afloat. Parts soared far as impact drove them away from their point of origin. Bits of snow were tossed as well thought not very high. The calming blue light slowly faded and the room was shrouded in darkness.

Outside the iced windows a bit of light, though faded, could be seen on the eastern horizon. Yet in the white shadows of the snow covered attic, a torn hedgehog sat before his portrait in the wake of his one weakness.

"_She is the one…the one I can't leave alone. Not even for a second._"

He couldn't mention her name but the thought of her was enough to garner mixed emotions that warred within him. For once, he had enough of it.

"_It's time for me to stop getting caught up in my feelings and do what I have to do! No more hesitation or doubts! This is my home and I said that I would protect it!_"

His body rose, first on bended knee, then tall and statuesque. The arms of the scarf falling over his back. Knowing he was well under prepared to face the invisible menace, Shadow had to unlock some new technique that would give him the edge he needed. Not just to skid by barely existing, but to defeat him completely.

Once more the spiny figure focused his energy and released it carefully. The aura returned to him but grew rapidly this time. Reaching its supposed peak, the light show also had another great affect on the room. Several object of all sizes began to lift into the air…but he wanted more. The blue brightened and the object rose higher shaking off the snow that blanketed them. Yet it wasn't enough. The gentle light intensified and raised objects ascended higher towards the heavens of the ceiling. Again, it still wasn't enough. The radiance became almost blinding and just about every object that touched the floor or wall, including his precious tattered portrait, experienced some amount of levitation…and so did he.

Whether or not he was aware of it was the last of Shadow's concerns. He needed more energy, so he reached within the deepest corners of his soul…the blue swallowed the room completely and filtered out of the windows in wondrous beams of light though few probably would've noticed.

As the morning painfully dragged on in boredom, the dark hero grew tired of mediation and sauntered out of the attic. Aside from memories of yore, nothing else in the house seemed to peak interest in the hedgehog so outside he went. A step into his empty backyard introduced Shadow to another calming autumn day, though he actually wished that trouble would appear somewhere. Nonetheless, he appreciated the peace before him and decided to stroll out into the woods again.

His surroundings faded from dying trees and helpless grounds to lush foliage and fresh grass, Shadow's memories were awakened and recalled the afternoons he and his sister, Maria, spent falling in love with the scenery. In fact, he remembered much more. Laughter, wonder, carefree, and beauty. All from this small forest in the back of his home that remained untouched by events of the past. There was an unseen honor found in protecting such a place from the purest of evil. Honor that gave the hedgehog the feeling of acceptance that he missed so much, only this time he didn't need verbal or visual approval from the townsfolk. Their feelings of wanting to be safe were all that he needed.

But the warmth faded slightly when the apparition grew closer to his point of destruction. Hidden by some trees and bushes just ahead of him was the dying tree that remained dead.

Shaken leaves and scattering insects cleared way for the visitor and a host of emotions returned to him…most of them unpleasant. Guilt, fear, pain, anger, heartache…his hand gripped the small tuff of hair on his chest and his steps staggered a bit but held his composure. Indeed it was a powerful scene before him but Shadow made it. He walked up to the very spot where he died. His eyes stared into the base of the bark where his body had slumped to. A few feet above he could barely make out the small bullet hole left behind in the desolate bark.

It was odd but the more he gazed at the saddened tree, the less anger, fear, and pain he felt, all being replaced by relief, gratefulness, and joy. The muscles resisted it, the body twitched but Shadow just had to give in. With his knees in the dirt, hands scraping the bark, and forehead on the tree, Shadow cried tears of joy and rejoice; a moment for him that was much overdue.

"Finally…finally I've made it…I've made it…" a strained voice spoke.

He was at the point of freedom where he could finally look ahead at the light without worrying about it fading from his sight…but it did not mean that all was over. Behind him, his past still remained eager to catch up to him and cause him more pain. So Shadow had to grow stronger, physically and emotionally to overpower the grip of his past and vanquish it for good.

Drained completely of his emotions, Shadow stood and faced the forest's edge where the promised light entered. That was his future, bright and welcoming. He looked behind him and saw the darkness of his home interrupting the calming scenery. That was his haunting past, the past that had to let go of him no matter how much it protested.

So he turned on heel towards his past to release the grip it had on him for good.

Hours passed and soon it was early afternoon. Feeling rested and regenerated, Shadow was back in his usual meditation spot using precious memories and newfound strength as his focus. In the dead silence, he could faintly make out the sound of his front door opening. His heart excited itself a bit…however his strength was of more importance. He had to stay attentive. Footsteps ascended the stairs, slowing their pace as they neared the attic. Finally a knock came at the door.

Knock, knock.

The heavy iced door opened, some silence, and then a voice.

"Hey," Amy's voice greeted him. "How's the meditating going?"

Concerned and interested as always.

"Making progress, though I won't know how much until The Beast shows up again." Which he hoped was soon…

She didn't respond but the dark hero did hear her tread lightly into the room. The temptation was hard and he did everything he could to resist. Eventually Shadow gave in and cautiously turned his head. There she was out of the corner of his eye. Hunched over probably gazing in awe at the wonders frozen in ice, but soon she turned back and so did Shadow. Cautiously he breathed lightly and built up courage to do something…daring and maybe even crazy…but he felt need to.

"Want to see a new trick I learned?" He thought his voice shook. If it did, Amy didn't seem to notice.

"Really? Sure!" A little more eager than he expected…maybe she would like it after all. Some of the pressure was relieved. Thinking only pleasant and strong thoughts, the hedgehog built up energy within him. He hoped the release wouldn't be too sudden…but he practiced all morning so why the worry? He was so confident in his skills that he didn't even need to open his eyes to know that a blue aura was emanating from him. He trusted that it was there. As his mind remained steady, so did the growth of his power, like a rushing isolated snowstorm within. The storm surged through him and to his fingertips, so intense that if he were alive he probably would've shivered at one point. Soon he was at his full limit, ready to show off his new ability.

Remembering his previous attempts, Shadow concentrated on soft gentle thoughts. Thoughts that calmed his insides and eventually the raging snowstorm. Then he released his focus allowing the energy to flow out of him in all directions. He used his outer strength to push the gentle force as far as he could and his trick went into action. Shadow opened his eyes…gravity had vanished from around him as he found himself surrounded by several objects that once slept under the blankets of snow. Floating among them as well was Amy disarrayed and very uncoordinated.

As comical her appearance was, Shadow couldn't help but be awestruck by the sheer natural beauty she held. The way her silky, rosy hair fluttered about her face. The free-flowing ways her clothes adopted as she twisted about in mid-air with ease. Even her confused look seemed…irresistible.

"Sh-Shadow…" It was a mixture of confusion and wonder in her voice. "When did you learn how to do this?"

"A few hours ago. It only has a small radius but if I increase my inner powers…"

"Then you could do this to the entire town." She always knew her cue.

One short leap into the air was all that he needed and he, too, was as weightless as Amy. Shadow watched as the girl he admired swam about, but he didn't just want to watch…he wanted something a little more. Full of nerves and anxiety, the hedgehog still found some courage to hold out his hand and speak her name.

"Amy…"

Slowly she rotated, her hair following through and her eyes widened. At first she seemed baffled…but then instincts overtook her and her arm reached out for his. The two gravitated towards each other and their fingers were just inches apart. Shadow, in particular, couldn't contain his emotions and just wanted to let them explode. He anticipated the nearing moment as they continued to draw closer in heavenly bliss.

"_Just a little more…_a_nd then she'll be in my arms just as I--_"

…He stomach dropped. A powerful scorching presence scratched at his insides nearly burning them.

"_No!_" his mind whispered and he released his power dropping to the floor and running to the window. He may have heard a thud behind him, but a serious issue had just arose. Looking out on the town, a hazy atmosphere had settled down upon the area in a sudden heat attack.

"_It's him…_" Shadow lowered his brow and dashed out of the room… Though it was possible that he heard Amy's voice, he just didn't have the time.

Madness was just breaking out in the streets when the apparition appeared in a flurry of snow and wind. People were in a panic running about screaming and crying. Cars crashes were everywhere, water spewed hundreds of feet into the air from a broken hydrant, and what was once normalcy had halted for the arrival of chaos. Boldly, Shadow took a few steps towards the panic and someone grabbed onto his arm. The woman pleaded for help as her face pour sweat and tears…and eventually began to sag off of her skull. Frightened, Shadow shoved a hand into her face, accidentally releasing a blue light as well that affected her profoundly. She dropped to the pavement twitching and jittering uncontrollably. In a matter of seconds, her face faded from a boiling, sweaty, red to a frosty, pale, blue which seemed to have caused her to curl up and shiver unconsciously.

Another new ability in the same day? The dark hedgehog just stared at his hand…and then out at the town.

…He knew what had to be done.

Dashing through the madness, Shadow used both of his hands to release the blue light that cured those who came near. Jumping, flipping, and turning, he moved with acrobatic grace through the mobs leaving behind a trail of unconscious of chilled people. He came to a sudden halt as a large group moved in on him…a smirk appeared on his face. Shadow waited and waited until his figure was almost swallowed whole by the oncoming group… Then with an ethereal swirling light that only he could create, blew away all of the suffering people and watched as they dropped to their backs terrified, shivering, and unsure of what was going on.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shadow could see a large figure move quickly in between some buildings. He gave pursuit down the small side street only to be greet by another mass of "melting" people.

"_Damn! Lost him!_" Frantically he began his onslaught of his merciful lights.

As the one-sided battle drew out, Shadow felt that the waves of people would never end. He knew his malevolent half was planning an attack, but what was the purpose of this? If he really wanted to take over the town he would've used a more effective control method on the townsfolk. Ignoring the large numbers, curing the people of their "ailment" was just too easy for him…there had to be some underlying reason.

"_You're doing well smaller half…_" It was him. Watching from someplace afar so Shadow couldn't be distracted. "_Even in your desperation to find me, you still manage to maintain your calming spirit. You don't even take out your anger on those beings around you._"

"That's because they're people with _lives_ to live!" Three more bodies went down in a blue flash. "None of them deserve death nor any of your tricks! …However, knowing you, there must be some underlying reason you're doing this."

A short laughter came from the hidden fiend.

"_You're certainly letting nothing get by you smaller half. I suppose I should spell it out for you since you seem to dislike being in the dark._"

"I've lived in it long enough." Shadow dodge-rolled away from some muscled men.

"_Very well. All of this pain and suffering you see is real…however it's all for your benefit._"

Shadow kept and attentive ear open.

"_If you can successfully save all of these people from my spell without killing a single one then maybe…**maybe **I'll reveal myself to you._"

Several more flashes of light came from the hedgehog before he leapt to the top of a streetlight for a brief rest. There had to be well over thousands of people in the town. That damned beast better be true to his word.

"Are you absolutely sure about that? How can I trust you?" the hedgehog questioned his invisible enemy.

"_You should be asking yourself that question._ _Can you trust your powers to pull you through this task? Or will your selfish emotions take over and destroy everything and everyone around you._"

How dare he beat around the bush at a time like this! All the apparition wanted was a straight answer and he couldn't even get that.

"_Shadow…in due time we will meet and you will see Ergos face to face with no ambiguity._"

And with that he felt the unnerving energy die out until it was just him and the mob of heated people below him. Ergos…? Was it the monster's true name or just something he gave himself over the years? Nevertheless, Shadow had his task handed to him and at the end waited the source of all of his pain. No running, no hiding, just waiting patiently for the determined hedgehog.

…He had a long path to travel.

The start of the path just below him shook and teetered the streetlight he sat atop of. As their cries reached him, a daunting choice tugged at his heart. He knew that years ago he wanted to show his worth by protecting the innocent people of the world. Fifty years later and he was finally given that chance all thanks to his larger half. Yet at the same time, two girls he grew to care for recently were now endangered because of the sadistic creature…and if the cursed townsfolk were to harm him , especially her, then could his emotions remain tamed? The streetlight swayed back and forward, Shadow had no time to answer his own query.

Before he knew it, he leapt off down into the panic and continued his daunting, savior task.

"_I have a duty to protect the innocent from evil. But that evil creates minions out of the innocent, so what am I to do? Slaughtering them would be no worthy cause…but neither is letting Cream…and **her** get injured because of my cautiousness._"

This so-called _analyzing_ was completely unnecessary seeing as how his practical mind had already figured out the solution to the dilemma: exclude the emotional heart, block it from outside forces…even if the force is _her_.

A row of bodies turned blue and fell. Shadow took a breather from the intense healing.

"Girls, I know I made a promise to protect you and I intend on keeping that promise no matter what." He spoke to their hearts. "Therefore, even if it costs my life, my greater half must be defeated. So please…do not get attached to me for this is what I have to do."

His righteous campaign continued even as the masses came against him. It wasn't until a short time had passed when Shadow noticed that he no longer grew restless of his tedious task. Instead the light within him seemed to increase his strength. Was his inner energy growing again? His resolute eyes were lit up by cerulean flashes from his hands, diminishing the cursed people that came at him. Left, right, up, down…they came from all directions and one by one the suffering humans were calmed by the hedgehog's cooling hand. Three more went down and he sensed another coming from behind. A light charged in his hand, he spun about, gritting his teeth…but halted.

"Amy!" Shadow's heart skipped a beat, but he returned to focus and stepped around her taking out another oncoming sufferer. "What are you doing here?"

"What's going on Shadow? What's wrong with these people?" There was desperation in Amy's voice. The horrors she saw must've shaken her badly.

"It's Ergos. He's put some kind of heating spell on everyone." Shadow answered trying to keep his concentration.

"Ergos?"

"His name. It's his name he's given himself and he's challenging my patience. Seeing if I have what it takes to save all of these people without killing anyone."

But was it really necessary to tell her? He knew Amy was better off back at his home. At least then he would know for sure about her safety since Ergos had just told him that he would be waiting for the hedgehog at the end of his journey. Shadow digressed and dispelled another human.

"But what are you doing? How are you saving them?"

To be honest, Shadow couldn't find a way to explain it to himself…he just knew that his inner energy was curing the people without harming them. What more did he need to know? Of course, with Amy it was a bit different so the dark hedgehog made an attempt anyway.

"Putting them into a deep sleep. Ergos' spell heats their bodies and so I counter it with a cooling attack that doesn't freeze their insides, but cools them off enough to negate the heat spell. Haa!"

He sent two more down and quickly scanned the area around them. Hundreds of bodies laid shivering or unconscious, but at least they were safe for now. It was time for Shadow to move back out into the main street and take care of the masses there…and try to get Amy back to his home if possible.

As they forced their way through the oncoming crowd, Shadow cured all that stood in his way…though there was one he couldn't get rid of.

"_What are you doing?_" It was his own conscious. "_I thought it was specifically clear that we couldn't let our emotions get carried away by Amy's presence! Shadow, everyone else needs your help now, you can't put everything on hold just for one person!"_

That damned voice irritated Shadow as it nagged on and on. Eventually he lost sight of his objective leaving the two open for an ambush out in the street.

"Shadow! I can't handle this any longer! Can we just get out of here?"

The apparition glanced back to see the young woman nearly disappear under a sea of bodies.

"Just hang on!" he said. "I have to save these people before they die!"

Shadow sunk beneath a wave of people. Darkness and moaning swallowed him…and there Shadow rested in pressured chaos. Now he understood what his conscious was getting at. His concern for Amy would eventually get the two killed. So he had to use her presence to _his_ advantage instead.

Seeking the energy within, the clear-minded hedgehog blew away the pile of people saving them as well. Amy had also been uncovered and he went to her side immediately. As the two stood, the pink hedgehog ended up wrapping her arms around Shadow.

"Shadow…" her voice tugged at his heart. "I can't do anything. I can't do anything to save these people. Can we please leave?"

As much as he wanted to, Shadow knew that he needed her to be at his side helping. Not asking him to nurse her worries

"Don't worry." Slowly he placed his hands on her. "Everything will be ok if we stick together."

Immediately her weeping ceased. Had he gotten through to her _that_ quickly? Or maybe her conscious gave her the wake-up call she needed. Whatever the answer was, Shadow now had the help he needed and was ready to go back to his task…yet something unexpected happened.

Amy took off… A baffled hedgehog was left behind wondering what came over her so suddenly. A dreadful moan came from behind him and the apparition spun about curing the first of a long line of people heading for him. At that moment it occurred to him that Cream hadn't shown up at all during the battle. So Amy was making herself useful after all. One person less he had to worry about.

In a matter of minutes, using his agility, stealth, and slick maneuvering, Shadow managed to down several hundreds of people combining short shots of light with area sweeping ones. Gradually as time went on, he noticed a strange pattern picking up. The more people he sent down, the more that would appear about him reaching out in agony. Unreal…just too unreal. All of his hard work seemed to be for nothing! But his heart wouldn't accept it. He was determined to complete the task Ergos had given him, even if it took the hedgehog days to cure everyone and hunt down those who probably couldn't reach him.

He had lost track of time, but that mattered little to him at this point. The sea of people he was consumed by was his only concern as he released his wondrous light before them. All seemed to be going well until he took a hit to the back by an angered man who was sweating profusely. Shadow fell to his knees and struggled to get up but was beaten back down by several people this time. All seemed to be angry at him, possibly because of his failure to meet their needs. It was at this moment when reality greeted the hedgehog and he realized the true severity of the situation.

"_I'm just out numbered. Plain and simple._" he told himself. "_There's no possible way I can complete this task alone…I need…I need…_"

…A great force pounded at his heart…he could feel her powerful presence heading for him.

A great blast of light warded off those around Shadow and immediately he stood staring down the street. Through the masses he could barely make out the pink colored, magenta suited woman sprinting for him at full speed. Hands suddenly grabbed at him, so Shadow fought them off but seemed unable to take his mind off of Amy as he struggled. Fighting her way through the ravenous mob, she called out his name.

"Shadow!"

His heart jumped again…the hedgehog cleared the area around him and glanced back at the sprinting woman. Her hair flew about her head in an ethereal manner while courage and will rested on her face. The determination that thrived within the young woman was picked up by Shadow and he just had to have her in his arms fighting by his side.

"Get over here!" he called out but was quickly pulled back into a fierce battle with another group.

As he struggled about with the swarming people around him, he could barely make out another call from Amy:

"Shadow! I'm almost there!"

Excellent, and just in time as well for he knew what had to be done next. Clearing away the surrounding group, the dark hero quickly began building up power within himself…it was a last ditch effort but it had to be done. Even with Amy now, they were still out number, over powered, and in over their heads. This time protection wasn't only for Amy, but for himself as well…and even for Cream wherever she was. So the energy continued to grow eventually creating the mystic blue aura about him. When Shadow reached his limit, he opened his eyes and held out a hand for Amy.

"_I'm confused about all of this and I'm not sure what to do exactly but…for now we'll take refuge and rest. I hope Cream will do the same as well and try to find her way back to us._"

And there she was before him…leaping through the air for his holding hand. As his eyes met with hers, something within him stirred. Shadow knew what it was…he knew it was there…it had always been there.

"_Know I don't want the two of you girls to get attached to me at this point…but that may prove to be a much tougher challenge than dealing with Ergos._"

At last their hands touched and with all of his strength, the apparition pulled the young woman close swinging her about him. She openly welcomed the gentle embrace of Shadow as he held her close, her soft hair brushing against his face.

"_But still…_" he whispered to himself one last time.

Holding Amy tight, Shadow was ready to release the energy and put this terrible situation behind them.

"This ends now." His lips spoke and a fantastic whirlwind of ice, wind, and snow cloaked them…their hands holding each others.


	16. Respite

Final Vision

Event 16: Respite  
_Your performance was better than I expected smaller half. Who knew that you would last on resilience alone despite the depressing numbers against you. I applaud you smaller half. You may not have completed the task but your effort and spirit has proven more than enough that you will be a worthy opponent for me in the end. Since I want you at full strength I've decided to give you a moment's respite, for you to gather up what conscious thoughts you have and prepare yourself for the turmoil that lay ahead. Rest well smaller half…for you will surely miss it in the near future._

* * *

Tension, confusion, and even fatigue plagued the black and crimson hedgehog. For once in the past week he wasn't in his snowy attic meditating but had found his quiet spot in the hallway of the second floor. Arm resting on a raised knee, his head lowered from weariness, Shadow had taken in so much yesterday…perhaps too much for his mind to handle. The perplexity of it all had collided in horrible fashion within his feeble mind. At the moment nothing made sense, not even why he was at home and why Amy was still sleeping in Maria's room directly across from him. All that the hedgehog could work out in his head was bits and pieces of his thoughts and events that occurred. 

"_Promise…protect…duty…alone… What am I suppose to be thinking of!!?_" It pained and drained him to even think.

Up until now, everything seemed so easy, so logical and in order, when he worked it out in his head. Even his personal feelings fell nicely into the jigsaw puzzle as he put it together but now…he hit a rough patch. The decisions he made, the challenge he faced, and the feelings that invaded him all clashed horribly and couldn't be lined up nicely. It was obvious that the changes he wanted to make wouldn't happen…and that the closer he grew to Amy, the harder things would get.

Ok, so he had to admit that suppressing his feelings for her at this point was futile, especially since, somehow, the two were connected by their hearts reacting to each other. So of course she knew of his feelings…and he knew of hers. But for them to blossom at this point would be a dire mistake. Anything could happen to either one and if that was the case, the other would shatter in spirit and become dead…or disappear in his case.

"_It's for our own good._" he told himself as he did numerous times before. "_I want to protect her heart and this is the only way I can_."

But still…

Curiosity piqued in him as to Amy's condition. Was she awake or still sleeping? Had yesterday quieted her or left her frozen in fear? All relevant questions would be answered in a matter of a few steps after Shadow stood and approached the door to Maria's room.

Cautiously the door knob turned and the wooden structure was pushed open into the dark, dusty room. The door glided towards the wall but Shadow's hand caught it and pushed it back into its frame silently while the little light that had entered faded. As dark as the room was, all was not unseen for the boarded up window allowed some natural sunlight to shine in through cracks beaming spotlights onto the floor. However, Shadow's focus and concern was with the bed. Still sleeping silently on the feather mattress was Amy although he wasn't sure if it was a true slumber. So the dark hedgehog approached bedside gazing down upon the one that drove his heart to insanity.

He could barely make out her soft breathing and wanted so much to push aside the strands of pink hair that hid her face. Yet he did something even more daring but just **had** to be done.

Shadow sat himself on the bed's edge, lifted his feet up onto the mattress, and laid on his side towards Amy's back moving as close as he could. A hand followed the contour of her perfect hourglass waist reaching the other side and eventually pulling the apparition as close as he could get.

…She shivered. His cold presence had awaken her.

"Shadow…" The fatigued female took his hand in hers.

"Yeah?" He returned the gesture by tightening his grip.

"…Everything is difficult."

"…I know."

"…Everything is confusing."

"…I know."

"…"

What was wrong? Did she want to say something more? Did she hold her tongue?

"…This shouldn't be." her soft voice trembled.

…What could that have possibly meant? It was more than troubling to Shadow's heart for it could've referred to several things. The condition of the situation, the fact that Ergos still exists, or even…what they shared with each other. "This" was more than just a statement; "this" was a terrible sign for them both. They had entered into a battle carrying a heavy burden that they risked losing. Something that they didn't want to dwell on.

Shadow squeezed Amy's warming body against his and even wrapped a single leg around hers.

…He was afraid and thanks to his telltale heart…so was she.


	17. Minion of Darkness

Final Vision

Event 17: Minion of Darkness  
Another day had come and thankfully there was no trouble at all. The sun rose once more and peace ensued. For a third day in a row the tiny town was quiet, however, those three days of peace were not entirely calm or serene for Amy or Shadow. Searching high and low, far and wide for Cream had them on edge. Not a peep was heard from her after the battle and to Amy, she clearly saw that as an omen. She was sure that if Shadow stopped the widespread attack then the teen would've been freed as well…at least that's what she thought till a note came their way.

"Are you sure about it? It could be a trick of some sort." Standing on the roof of the veranda, his scarf blowing in the midday wind, the watcher looked towards the sky in waiting.

"No, it's true. He has her out there…waiting to use her." The waiter sat on the steps resting her head against a support beam. With distant eyes, she crumpled up the paper in her hand.

A stern breeze stirred up some trees in the distance but aside from that, nothing…nothing but lament in heart of the young woman.

"I should've stayed with her." Amy spoke. "I could've at least followed her."

"There was nothing you could've done." Shadow leapt off the roof landing before the steps. "Besides, you said it yourself. She was too strong for you to take on and she was about to kill you, so stop moaning about it. We'll just have to do whatever we can the next time we see her…that is if there's anything we can do."

A silent response came from Amy as she turned her face towards the timber of the support beam, her hair falling past her shoulder hiding her eyes from the world. Shadow grimaced and turned back towards the sky.

"_Look towards the sky you trust so well…a glimmer of hope may still exist for your naïve friend._"

On a small piece of paper written in what looked to be Cream's handwriting, it was clear that the message was from Ergos himself. Although he was thrown astray by the monster's first "attack", Shadow's mind was in focus once more and kept diligent eyes towards the sky.

"…This is just like ten years ago." the dark hedgehog spoke.

Amy perked up from her depressive pose. "What?"

"Ten years ago you were possessed by a creature that I had created. He tried to use you to prevent me from pursuing my memories, to hide the truth from me."

Her eyes searched the ground as if it would sprout her memories and give them to her.

"I don't remember a lot from back then…" she replied quietly.

"Figures." Shadow crossed his arms still looking towards the sky. "You were out for a day afterwards and pretty weak when you woke up…but…"

A brief hush fell over the dark hedgehog as he looked at his scarf. A somewhat forgotten but tender memory flashed in his mind.

"But what?" he heard Amy ask.

"When I told you that I was going up to the attic where my memories were…you…did something…"

Now filled with curiosity, the pink hedgehog stood slowly approaching Shadow. Her hand was extending for him but it happened again. The tender moment was disrupted by _his_ presence again and Shadow quickly looked towards the sky in alarm. Amy's eyes followed but saw nothing, so she approached her companion.

"What is it? Do you see him?" she asked softly.

Shadow shook his head. "I can feel his energy…but it's within someone else."

Quickly his eyes darted left and right and what could've been assumed to have been a false alarm was, in fact, an existing danger. A small crack appeared in the clear midday sky, maybe 30 or 40 feet or so off the ground. The thin line lengthened in silence and suddenly a tiny set of fingers began to part it from within. Fighting and struggling the way a butterfly does to escape its cocoon, the hands fought with all of their might to open up the strange portal to some dark realm. Finally an arm extended out…tan colored just as they had expected. Seconds later another arm…then a long floppy ear…the second followed immediately by the auburn ponytail attached to the head of their taken friend, Cream the Rabbit. However, they were unable to see her face as she seemed to bend over while she continued to pulled the rest of her slim body out of the narrow opening. What looked as if it was going to be a frightful drop turned out to be a graceful, and surprisingly accurate, flip out of the mysterious abyss. She landed on bended knee…and slowly rose throwing her ears back to reveal mischievous red eyes that were bold enough to face anything, no matter how heinous. A sick smile slithered onto her innocent face and she took a few steps towards the hedgehogs in denial.

"What a beautiful day, isn't it?" Cream was no longer there. Sure it was her voice and her body…but everything about her right down to her tone just wasn't _her_.

"I can't believe what he's done to you." Shadow muttered. "Please tell me you fought back."

"Me or do you mean that weak and stupid girl?" She scoffed crossing her arms. "Well of course she fought back! But in the end it was all useless since life is so much better on the _other side_. You should come too Amy."

The young woman was taken aback. That imposter knew her name and even dared to offer a hand to her!

"Y-you know my name?" Amy was still in disbelief. She wanted to believe that even an ounce of her naïve friend still existed.

"Well duh! I may not be the Cream you know, but everything she knows I know." The rude girl dropped her hand tired of formalities. "Well since the two of you obviously don't want a better life, I'll just do what I was sent here to do…"

Shadow had been waiting for this moment and immediately moved into a battle stance. "Cream" smirked eager for a good fight while a distant Amy felt herself become even more distant from the situation. She couldn't believe what was happening. Her close friend was overtaken by the mysterious dark side that lurked out there, so was she gone for good? Or perhaps a small fragment of the energetic girl still remained in the invaded body. Either way, Amy would have to let Shadow handle things from here. Whoever it was that hosted Cream's body must've a possessor of great strength for they were willing to fight, even at the expense of damaging Cream's body.

As the rabbit crouched low against the ground, a red aura lined her body; her strength grew rapidly. Shadow created his own icy air about himself in contrast. For a short moment that seemed like an eternity, the two fighters remained in their stances waiting for the other to attack. A cloud passed over blocking out the sun and as a shadow expanded the area, something disturbing revealed itself.

Standing tall behind "Cream", a faint figure could be seen by both hedgehogs whose jaws dropped upon eye contact. Covered in scales with a muscular structure, massive wingspan, dagger sharp spines, and demonic red eyes was the black reptilian beast that seemed all too familiar to Shadow. The monster met eyes with the specter and smiled showing off his sharp set of teeth.

"_Ergos…_" the hedgehog groaned in his mind.

"Get him." Ergos' voice whispered with a deep and commanding tone.

In a split second Ergos vanished and "Cream" shot across the yard like a bullet colliding with the distracted hedgehog. The blur smashed gloriously into the wooden structure of the veranda leaving behind broken pieces of wood and a small cloud of dust that blinded Amy of the action. She had started reaching for her metallic staff hidden in the insider pocket of her blazer when action erupted again from the fighters. "Cream" was the first to fly out of the dust courtesy of a powerful kick from the black hedgehog who was hot on her tail.

After a violent tumble spanning the length of the yard, the rabbit stopped herself, upright and facing the closing in hedgehog. Shadow attacked with an icy fist ready for impact, but the punch was intercepted by a powerful hand. Crystalline ice shards shattered flying about the two, some pieces nipping and cutting at the delicate face of the girl who simply ignored the tame injuries. So Shadow tried with his other hand and attempted another attack but that met with little success as it was easily blocked as well. So there they were, stuck in a power struggle pushing back and forth against each other until "Cream" played her wild card: a surprise head-butt right between Shadow's eyes.

He stumbled back dazed while "Cream" took the open opportunity to launch a series of wild kick attacks that only the imposter could pull off flawlessly. One, two, three, four head on kicks finishing off with a leap into the air and a take-down kick that hooked Shadow by the neck and slammed him face first into the ground.

"SHADOW!!" Amy screamed wanting to join but was hesitatant.

The fierce rabbit hopped to her feet in no time while Shadow struggled to his knees recovering from the massive pain in his head. He knew where he was, it was his home. All he had to do was stand up and gather his bearings…yeah that's it. Just take one step at a time and then--

"Where do you think you're going?!" a shrieking voice from above stomped him into the ground. "I'm not done with you yet!"

"Well I guess you're out of luck!"

"Cream's" eyes darted up just in time to see a large metallic object just inches from her face. Impact occurred and the rabbit was down rolling away from the hedgehogs, her face in unimaginable pain. Quickly, Amy tended to Shadow's side who thanked her for the save but their words were interrupted.

"MY FACE!!!" the impostor screamed in agony. "YOU RUINED MY FACE YOU BITCH!!"

With Amy's help, Shadow was to his feet in no time looking on in slight pity at the writhing girl. Finally she stood up holding a bleeding and broken nose. Swallowing her pride, "Cream" wiped off some of the excess blood and snarled at the duo. Slowly her snarl became a sinister grin plotting up something devious.

"Since you two like to work together so much, let's see how well you can handle yourselves alone." She chuckled a bit holding her hands out at her sides.

A red glow was emitted from "Cream's" hands and in response, Shadow gathered his energy as well while Amy backed away safely.

"Let's see how close you two can get now!!" the rabbit shouted clasping her hands together above her head.

Quickly, she brought down her fists while Shadow quickly responded with a gale of snow and ice…but his efforts were useless. The moment the girl's fists impacted the earth, a blade of red energy was sent out melting away the snowy wind and quickly passing between Shadow and Amy dividing them further from each other. The combined elements of the attack, heat, force, and speed was enough to overpower the hedgehogs forcing them to fall back.

Shadow hit the ground first and immediately climbed to his feet with intentions of severe retaliation…but his opponent was gone. In fact…everything was gone. The forest, his home, the sky…even Amy. In a slight panic, Shadow searched all around him in the darkness and could only ask but one question:

"Where am I?"


	18. False Pretenses

_JSYK: Things get a little weird from here on…_

Final Vision

Event 18: False Pretenses  
Skating furiously through darkness, Shadow moved his legs and pumped his arms as hard as he could though it felt as if he was going nowhere. Coming to a stop, Shadow searched about him and came to the conclusion that trying to get somewhere was useless if all he could see was nothing.

"That damn monster…" he kicked at the bare ground.

It had been a long time since he felt irritation this intense.

"_Ha! I knew you would give up easily._" …It was Ergos and his haughty attitude. "_It's not like my servant sent you far…you just have to use that tiny head of yours and break free of your prison."_

The hedgehog waited anticipating more gloating yet that seemed to be all Ergos had to say. Still, it meant nothing to him. What good would his powers do? Even the newly discovered ones would probably do little to help…but it wouldn't hurt to try…for Amy.

"I have to get back to her…" he whispered.

She was strong on her own but up against the menacing force she would crumble easily. Therefore his presence by her side was essential and so was a process of "trial and error" if he wanted to start on figuring out a way to escape the darkness…

"…_use that tiny head of yours and break free of your prison…_" An obvious, and maybe even clichéd clue but the darkness acting as a prison? Familiar territory for the hedgehog. From experience, he knew the best way to break out of his so-called "prison" was through the use of sheer force and will. So he gathered this solution in the form of brilliant blue energy in the palms of his hands and shot them out ahead of him. The two spheres zoomed off into darkness and after a few econds a barely visible light was seen. Impact was made somewhere at the edge of the prison. A victory smirk on his face, Shadow whizzed off shooting out more blue spheres and carefully watching where the impact light came from. Periodically he did this growing ever closer to the edge and finally--

"Ow!" His face slammed into it…

Rubbing away the redness, Shadow pushed against the invisible wall before him. He even jumped up several times just to see how high it would go…too high for him obviously. Not even he frequent shots made a scratch as far as he could tell.

"_Perhaps a little physical force would do the trick._"

Stepping back, Shadow loosened up his right leg and pulled it back anticipating slight pain if the wall was sturdy. A brief silence and the dark hero quickly brought his foot forward and high slamming it into the wall. Immediately it bounced off with a "THUD" and Shadow fell to the ground swearing under his breath and soothing his injured foot and ankle.

"_Damn…harder than I thought. Maybe there's--_"

A short glance up at the wall and he could see a small fracture in it giving it the appearance of glass. Victory was his again and the hedgehog stood determined to break free.

To avoid anymore injury to his means of transportation, Shadow felt it best to continue on with his hands as he had always done. Effortless concentration created a thick shield of ice gloves around his fists and he punched them together ready to start his match. First punch! …Nothing. Try a little harder. Next punch! …Some glass fragments but still no headway. A third! …Now we're getting somewhere. Again! Yeah, that's it! And again! Don't stop, you're just getting started! Hit after hit began and before he knew it, the glass chipped away piece by piece while eating away his ice gloves.

Time had gone by but the apparition didn't pay much attention to how long he was at it. A dent was forming in the wall as the glass continued to shatter. When his gloves began to wear away almost to his hands, simple concentration regenerated the lost ice enabling him to keep on going. Every punch he took was a step towards freedom, a step towards vengeance, and a step towards Amy as her divine beauty served as his driving force.

"_Throw all the shit you can in my path you persistent bastard!"_ Shadow's thoughts gloated._ "I'll take them on full force. This is all just familiar territory for me. Someone puts up a challenge before me and I tear it down with ease. It's what I'll always do as long as I have someone to fight for… someone to protect… someone to love!_"

One final blow was all that it took and the sound of shattering glass resounded in his ears. His body flew forward completely out of control from the force he had put into the last punch and, with glass shards about him, Shadow fell from the darkness.

The dark hedgehog fell onto dusty floors, his ice gloves dissipating from his fists. Rolling onto his back, he sat up and shook away the dazed feeling in his head. Quick observations of his surroundings informed him that Ergos was right, he hadn't gone far at all. He was in his home, a little surprising but comforting for a few mere seconds until Amy entered his mind again. Shadow rushed to the front door and swung it open only to be greeted by a relieving sight: his dear Amy standing in the yard before him unscathed and smiling. In all of her sweet manner she smiled and waved to him and that fighting feeling within Shadow faded as he stepped out of his home.

For a few seconds they stood looking at each other with dorky smiles most likely shared by pre-pubescent kids caught up in puppy love. Suddenly Amy made her move and rushed for Shadow as he calmly stepped down from the veranda. They united, the young woman flying into her hero's arms and he accepted the embrace. This time, Shadow's heart wasn't nervous or questioning. Suddenly he felt subtle movements from her as she turned her head to whisper sweetly in his ear.

"You'll always be here for me, right?" her light voice spoke blushing his face a bit.

"Of course."

Moments went by before the two broke away, yet their hands remained attached.

"Let's go inside. Cream's probably awake by now and wants to--"

Shadow was forced to halt his advance toward the veranda. His breaths were hard, his pupils contracted, and his body became stiff as familiar arms wrapped around him in unfamiliar ways. Fingers brushed through the tuff of hair on his chest and a hand rubbed the entire chest area. The arms pulled him sensually close the woman he loved, though his love for her wasn't to _that_ extent. He could feel the undertone of sexual desires flow from her body to his; especially when her bust pushed against the spins on his back turning his rose colored cheeks velvet red. Then her head rested on his left shoulder breathing breaths of "want me" into his ear. He could feel her lift her lips up to his ear for a whisper.

"You'll always be here for me, right?" Her voice was deep, smooth and confirmed his suspicions of carnal cravings.

He was unsure of how to answer. Amy had never showcased or gave off any signs of these feelings in her. They practically came out of the blue, sneaking up on him like a nasty mosquito bite. His lips quivered with a host of possible answers; some appropriate, others just as dirty as Amy's message. Tired of his hesitation, the young woman took the initiative and slowly moved her right hand down his torso. Shadow's emotions flared up within him sending him red flags everywhere but still leaving him unsure of which one to wave.

…His hesitation was too long. The delicate rose colored hand reached its destination holding on as tightly as it could with fierce determination of never letting go. Shadow jumped in immediate response and did everything he could resist reacting positively to her actions for he knew Amy. She didn't want this from their relationship. So he made an attempt to pull away but the femme hedgehog held him tighter and pushed her cheek against his head.

"Please be here for me…right here…please? This is where I want to be. Forever…" her voice moaned slightly.

That was it. Shadow practically ripped himself away from an Amy that desperately tried her hardest to hold on but stumbled forward. Putting good distance between them, Shadow stared down the sensual woman with wary eyes and reluctant body language.

"What's gotten into you?!" Shadow demanded.

Her head lowered hiding her face behind locks of hair. Suddenly movement came from her shoulders… She was laughing. The laughing grew hysterical as Amy threw her head back and fell on her knees…and then it died down as both of her hands reached for the collar of her cotton shirt. With slight ease, the young woman made a tiny rip; Shadow jumped back with widened eyes. More and more did the white shirt ripped revealing a slither of pink skin and black bra underneath. The hero wanted to say something. Hell, he had to say something! They were out in broad daylight and Amy was practically acting like a--

"I'll ask you again." her sensual voice spoke as she stood. "You'll always be here for me…right?"

Already she had returned to him standing before the apparition with lustful eyes. Shadow merely nodded at the inquiry.

"Amy, I'll be at your side and nowhere else. But what's gotten into you?! You're acting inappropriately!"

Silently she pulled him close grabbing his left hand and boldly moved in for a gentle kiss to his lips. Though her eyes closed with passion, Shadow's remained open in silent but wanting to protest. He had always hoped that they would kiss…but not in this way. Not with Amy acting abnormally. Finally the one-sided kiss broke with her eyes still lusting for him.

"The answer I wanted." she spoke gently. "Now I ask you this. Will you be inside of me as well?"

At that moment she pushed his hand against her stomach and rested her head on his shoulder. Shock and fear launched the black hedgehog and onto the veranda, away from Amy who was surprised as ever by his response.

"Sh-Shadow…?"

His emotions flared wildly. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hurt Amy physically or emotionally at this point.

"I don't know who you are." he spoke breathing hard. "But whoever you are…stay the hell away from me!"

He turned to march inside his home when a shrieking voice responded.

"THAT'S JUST LIKE YOU! YOU NEVER RETURN THE FEELINGS I GIVE!!"

Shadow halted and turned on heel…but the yard was empty. He searched all around even for a glimpse of her pink hair vanishing into the trees but nothing. Confused and mostly worried, the dark apparition turned back towards the front door of his home and went inside.

With a heavy sigh he shut the door behind him wondering what had just happened. Did something happen to Amy while he was gone? Better yet, how long was he gone? Probably for quite a while for the young woman to behavior so differently. He took a few steps into the foyer before he was stopped by the presence of someone else.

"Amy?" She stood before him, eyes glaring, hair strewn about her face…and shirt still ripped open right down the center.

"You never return my feelings." she spoke grimly. "Why?"

He couldn't answer, not to _her_.

"Never mind. You were always selfish anyways. Always thinking and saying things like 'I have to protect my home' and 'I won't go down without a fight'." She approached him ever so slowly. "It's always you, you, you and never anyone else…well except for that girl upstairs."

Amy jerked her head in the direction of the stairs. They both knew "that girl" who was up there.

"Still, you're pretty selfish and you have no intentions of changing at all." Amy caressed Shadow's cheek with her delicate fingers.

However, he swatted them away unconvinced that she was the true Amy he knew.

"I'll ask you once, **who are you**?" He asked stronger than ever.

"I'm Amy Rose, silly."

She attacked without warning. Shadow dodged her flying fist that went through the front door and quickly slid to the opposite side of the foyer. Something was obviously wrong and it was up to him to uncover the mystery.


	19. Love's Deception

Final Vision

Event 19: Deception of Love  
Chaos roared up the stairs as Shadow fled from an overpowered Amy. The wall, punctured by her hand, was a victim of her rage as she dragged her fist up following the stair line. It exploded from the wall heading towards Shadow's face along with thousands of wood splinters. Quick reflexes ensured the dark hedgehog's safety but unfortunately Amy could move just as fast. As opposed to Cream's weapon of furious kicks, Amy took a more 'personal' approach with super powered punches. The battle was one-sided; Shadow was hardly doing anything else aside from quick dodges and hasty steps backwards as the high speed punches brazed his nose.

"Why-won't-you-love-me!?" Was just one among various forms of the same question the woman posed.

Finally Shadow backed into the wall at the end of the short hallway and managed to stop the final throw of Amy's assault. Angered, she tried with her other hand but that was stopped as well and the two went into a contest of strength.

"I thought we could be together. I thought we had it all… But you had to react this way, make things more complicated."

Shadow still refused to address any of her remarks in any way. She wasn't Amy, she wasn't the girl who saved him ten years ago.

Again Amy pulled another surprise and pushed her body against his and met with him nose to nose. Her sensual breath ruffled the tuff of hair on his chest and a few loose strands in his red scarf. With disgust he tried to push her away, but her strength probably matched his. She went at it again, kissing him seductively with her tongue going wildly in his mouth. Wrapping a leg around his and pushing her pelvis against his. He may have been dead but his natural instincts were still alive and well and wanted more of what Amy was sampling him.

"_No! Can't do this! I have to resist!_"

The pink hedgehog found herself falling back to the hardwood floor in utter disgust. Shadow approached her with a commanding presence and even dared to lift her up by the collar of her jacket. He snarled at the imposter and then forced her against the wall as a small taste of revenge for him.

"What are you going to do now?" Amy asked smiling wickedly.

A forceful punch to her face sent a splatter of blood to the floor and the young woman stumbled into a closed door. She wasn't even given room to breathe as Shadow attacked her again throwing her head first into the opposite wall where she bounced off and rolled across the floor. A great amount of pressure was felt upon her back as Shadow knelt down on her, digging his knee as hard as he could into her lower back, and grabbed a handful of her rosy locks.

"There are a few things in this world that I dislike…"

His voice hissed with a hellish sound; it may have been the first time Shadow had been sent to such a dark place so quickly. His eyes gradually turned sinister and for the first time in many years his vampire fangs returned once again protruding from the corners of his mouth.

"The first would be liars who push me…" Beneath his white gloves, claws emerged and grabbed at Amy's neck.

"The second, liars who hurt those I care for…" The claws grasped the hedgehog's neck piercing the skin.

"And finally, liars like you who try to get in my way!!"

A patch of skin and large amounts of blood was slapped against the wall as the right hand of the apparition tore away Amy's throat. Eyes wide open, Amy squeaked her last breath before her face fell to the floor joining the rest of the scarlet matter that poured from her neck.

He was satisfied. The imposter had been done away with and his anger diminished…yet one glance at his hand and Shadow was reminded of a time when all he ever saw was darkness. The smell of fresh blood was familiar to him, even the taste of it as he dared a lick of his finger. Yet the feeling of hunger was no longer there, nor was the necessity of such sustenance. His eyes wandered from the corpse, following the blood trail, and right to the stain on the wall. Though his body no longer needed nourishment, it still harbored the same strength he had always had since his creation.

"I am still this way…full of unknown power to be used for good or evil." he spoke.

In short, he was a loose cannon ready to explode and the evils of the world challenged his tolerance at every opportunity. If that was the case, just how safe was Amy or anyone under his protection? Just when he thought that he was heading in the right direction, and new personal dilemma appears.

Stepping over the corpse, Shadow staggered down the hallway, the wall as his support. He knew that in order to protect the future, he had to fight his past. What about afterwards? Sure, he could stay with Amy and see the world with her…or have her stay with him and they could live together in the house that brought them together.

"Love is so…demanding" his lips whispered.

Ever since his early years of living, Shadow had wanted to experience it all: happiness, sadness, hope, pain… He wanted to live life and experience it as the humans did…including love. Now he knew why people crumbled before the power of love, it was a fickle thing toying with their hopes and dreams. Pulling us close and ripping us away with little remorse. Even causing death and pain to everyone involved. Now here it was…forcing him to choose between necessity and want.

Suddenly a hand grabbed him by the neck and lifted him from the floor. Even with all of his might, Shadow could not even loosen the grip the limb had on him. Then the stranger was revealed.

"Ironic isn't it?" a scratchy voice came from the supposedly dead Amy. "Love can do everything but love in return leaving you helpless and confused. You're wise to refuse it, opting for loneliness instead."

Her twisting of words was enough to make him sick. What did she know about him anyways?

"The love you have to offer me…is not true love!" A swift kick to Amy's shin dropped Shadow immediately. Just enough time for due judgment.

He spun around in the blink of and eye and pushed his hand against her chest forcing her into the wall. The bloody wound spilling life over his right hand was barely a distraction as his eyes fiercely stared into hers. Even with the look of death glaring her down, Amy still managed a raspy but sinister laugh as if she had won their little game. His tolerance gave in and in a flash ice covered Amy's chest while a large, blood-soaked icicle protruded from her back and embedded itself into the wall. Even in death her eyes stared back into the apparition's but he knew it was an empty look for nothing was in that body now.

"I'm not choosing loneliness, I'm choosing what my heart wants…"

Shadow stormed away from the dismal scene and back down into the foyer. His gloves were soaked with evil's blood, he had to get it off to get that atrocious imposter out of his mind. With nothing functioning in the house anymore, he had to look toward outside sources but his thoughts didn't get very far. A knock came at the door…a familiar voice followed.

"Hello? Shadow?"


	20. What Will You Do Shadow?

Final Vision

Event 20: What Will you Do Shadow?  
The door flew open and daylight blinded him till there was nothing left. The light and airy voice ranged in his ears again.

"Shadow? Are you ok?"

It was young…innocent…concerning but in a naïve way. Slowly the hedgehog opened up his heavy eyelids. His vision horribly blurred, all he could make out was an peach-ish blob hovering over him. Slowly the enigma came into focus revealing a familiar rabbit face with a bob of auburn hair hanging between her hazel eyes. He blinked rolling away from the girl and onto his hands an knees. An intense lightheaded feeling swam through his head making it hard for him to figure out anything about his surroundings. Still, he wanted to stand and so he made an attempt but suddenly felt his body lose balance. Immediately gentle hands grabbed his upper arm pulling him back into a stable position and Shadow finally took a glance at the girl to his left with tired eyes.

"Thank you…" his voice sounded groggy as if he had just woken up from a heavy slumber. "W-where am I?"

"Outside." Cream answered, and air of fear in her voice. "Hey Shadow, I don't know what's going on but I just woke up out here a-and it's really weird."

He tried to listen but the feeling in his head was taking its dear time fading away. However he managed to look around his familiar front yard. All of the damage from the battle remained, the air was still cold as autumn, the trees were practically barren of leaves. It was enough to convince him that this was no dream unlike the hell he had just experienced.

"You do know what happened, right?" Cream even tugged on his arm a bit as she spoke to him.

"Yeah, yeah." Shadow finally remembered.

It was her who caused all of the damage…at least while under the control of Ergos, but there was no way he could tell her that and not expect her heart to split.

"A battle…Amy and I fought against one of Ergos' monsters. You just got caught up in the mess when you tried to help. Sorry I couldn't save you."

The teen smiled to his relief. She even let out her usual giggle.

"That's ok. As long as I'm alive, there's no hard feelings over it."

Shadow returned the smile though not as strong as hers and the light mood was broken.

"Oh, Amy! We have to find her! What if she was taken away by that monster guy?"

How could he have not noticed?! Amy was nowhere to be seen so there was a chance that Cream was right. With only the harsh order of 'Let's go!', Cream found herself following a rushing Shadow through the trees but made no complaint about his speed leaving her behind. Wouldn't have made much a difference either way. The hedgehog was too focused on seeking out Amy and natural reaction caused him to go faster. Bare branches whipping across his face, the cold air stinging his eyes, such petty things were barely a distraction to him. Getting to Amy, wherever she was at, was his only concern.

Further and further into the forest, the never ending scenery of trees going on for miles and miles… Was the town really this far from his home? How long had he been running? When common sense was able to reach Shadow's conscious, he came to a halt skidding across the forest floor, throwing leaves and dirt into the air about him. His chest rose and fell steadily as his breaths calmed his heart. Quickly the ghostly hedgehog looked all around him but couldn't see the edge of the forest in any direction. But how could that be? He knew the town, he knew the forest that surrounded his home! It couldn't possibly be this large!

"Running and yet you don't even know where you're going." a calm voice spoke from behind him.

Shadow spun on heel to see Cream a few feet from him, her hands behind her back, her eyes relaxed with patience. She approached him with a gradual pace and stopped just before him with a blasé air about her.

"Where is it are you going Shadow?" the rabbit asked in a low, soothing tone.

"To rescue Amy…" This was all starting to look a little too familiar to him all of the sudden.

"Oh really? And where do you plan on rescuing her?"

"Where ever Ergos has her. I know he does, it's what he wants." Shadow voice was firm, determined not to give into any impulsive behaviors.

The girl shook her head thoughtfully and paced away from Shadow looking towards the sky.

"Where ever Ergos has her…" she parroted in response. "The words of someone who is determined…but foolish."

Cream smiled but it wasn't sweet or cute…just plain creepy as if she was hiding some dirty secret. More than enough reason for Shadow to put up his guard and watch the teen's movements carefully. She continued her slow pace around him even humming a bit as if all was well and dandy.

"Tell me..." she stopped again, her eyes still on the sky. "What will you do Shadow?"

The hedgehog blinked twice. Did he just miss something or was she just acting odd to throw him off? He scowled at her but didn't want to attack…yet. Suddenly her eyes looked towards him with seriousness and she pointed a rigid finger at him.

"What **will** you do Shadow?" the rabbit demanded marching towards him, her finger steady.

She had stopped just a few feet from him with her delicate limb just mere inches from his nose. With a scoff, he smacked the hand away throwing in a growl of intimidation. It had become clear to him that this was either another possessed Cream or another imposter. Either way, it served as justification for his silence; he answers to no one but those he knows and trusts. Cream grinned slyly and walked away from him with a carefree wave of her hand almost as if his answer was obsolete.

"Well you better figure out what it is you're going to do." An assertive snap of the teen's fingers and five clones of her appeared. "The clock's ticking…"

No sooner had she ended her sentence, the dark hero found himself dodging a flying kick from his right and thus the frenzy began. The clones of Cream moved faster than she ever could, but not too fast for Shadow to watch as he often found himself fighting off one and dodging two simultaneously. He held his arms up to block a high kick but immediately realized he had to jump to avoid a sweeper from behind. Blocked a punch from another and used that clone to launch himself into the air to kick away another attacker.

Suddenly some teamwork began to take place. Two of them came at him with swift martial art punches one right after the next. He adjusted to the rhythm appropriately and managed to block both of their "final" hits with his hands. Conveniently for them, he had also backed into a tree which the third waited in for the drop. She flipped down with a warrior's cry, but the hedgehog's speed won him safety. He dodged away just seconds before she made impact with her comrades and for a few seconds he rested…but it was only for a few seconds. A fourth clone had come up behind Shadow and caught him in a chocker hold, pulling her arm as close as she could to her. Something had to be done so the hedgehog bent over and luckily the clone was too occupied to even catch onto his scheme. Shadow pushed off using as much force as possible and launched himself and the girl back into a nearby tree effectively shaking her off and allowing him to fall to his knees.

"Come on Shadow!" he heard the annoying voice of Cream shout. "Do something!"

Just hearing that fraud yell in such a familiar voice made him want to rip out another neck. And he would've too had it not been for a desperate attack made by all the clones. He was tackled down by one and they wrestled until she got the upper hand. Suddenly the rabbit clone had become stronger, grabbing him in a sleeper hold; her left arm wrapped around the hedgehog's neck and held in place by her right. Although he struggled to breathe, death was not something he had to worry about considering his condition. Yet he couldn't allow his bones to be shattered if the clones had grown stronger.

Quickly the first approached, fist clenched and running at full speed. A hard hit to his jaw that would've knocked it clear off was the first of many blows to come. The next shouted for her turn and a path was made clear for a swift kick to the stomach. Air left him in a gust and his stomach worked its hardest to recover but a third blow was already on its way. Another punch to the stomach followed by a bulldozing tackled that shoved Shadow, the holding clone and the attacking clone back into a nearby tree. The holding clone was dazed a bit but regained her composure though the same couldn't be said for Shadow. With the wind already knocked out of him, that last assault had him teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.

His vision shaky and blurred, he could've sworn that the ground was rushing towards him prepping another painful attack. The only pain he felt, though slight and harmless, was on his face. Dirt and grass entered into his mouth and nose and his breath shook up the tiny green blades of grass. He still felt disoriented though. Hoisted up to his feet, the daylight shining through his closed eyes, Shadow tried to stay still or at least kept his head held up since his body felt the urge to go in whatever direction it tilted. But the peace was short as a fierce blow came from his left. He fell and welcomed the hard hitting ground.

Taking those precious moments of rest, Shadow could think of only one thing: Cream. Yes her, the one that brought him pain at the moment. However he thought of her for all of the right reasons. Such as where was the true Cream? What happened to her after she separated Amy and him…that is if this really was a separation or just a wild dream. Other questions concerning her came to mind but most were admissible. Dwelling on them for too long would be a waste, especially when those clones began attacking again after the era of rest he was in. Yet if it weren't for that era, then Shadow wouldn't have caught a glimpse of…something intriguing, something wonderful, something that he probably should've noticed sooner. Cream was a teenager…a teenager on the edge of adulthood in age.

"_Is…is that it?_" he managed to ask himself before a kick to the face ended his reprieve.

More harsh beatings came but Shadow knew what had to be done. Another kick to his ribs sent him rolling away from the clones, thankfully, allowing him the small window of opportunity he needed. A furious stomp from above was dodged as Shadow rolled away quickly. No longer was he dazed and weakened by his injuries, a burst of energy and "certain instincts" drove him now and he went back into battle with full force.

Charging at full speed, the dark hedgehog slammed the palm of his hand into the nearest clone breaking her nose. Her face was gripped and she was throw aside with enough force that caused her neck to snap upon impact with the ground. Wasting no time he grabbed a second clone, hopefully the one that had him restrained, and pulled her into a headlock. Poetic justice was served in the form of a snapping neck and a life ended. Two down, three to go. The last three came at him not wanting to meet the same fate as their comrades, but of course this was Shadow they were dealing with. He swiftly leaped over the first clone which was used as a catapult to smash the second clone's face with his foot. She fell with red liquid painted across her visage and Shadow engaged in battle with the third that attacked him furiously. They were at equal blocking each other's attacks perfectly but a quick inch to the right and Shadow found an opening. His fist smashed into her jaw from below unhinging it and she stumbled back. The rabbit's arm was grabbed and her body flew through the air and into her companion crashing them both to the ground. Finishing the job, he summoned icicles from beneath the girls impaling them. Then there was only one. Her face still covered with blood as she staggered up into a futile fight stance. She could see Shadow's back towards her and made for a surprise attack. Leaping through the air, she was determined to grab Shadow from behind and strangle the life out of him…however her plans were cut short. Just seconds before impact, jagged ice formed on Shadow's back turning him into a spike trap of sorts and thus came the demise of the final clone as she landed in the trap. The ice retracted back into Shadow and the girl's body fell to ground.

He was satisfied, the battle had ended, and it was just him…and her. Boldly, the hedgehog walked towards Cream who suddenly became uneasy by his presence. She tried to back away casually but Shadow grabbed her before she could break into a run and she tried to escape his powerful grip.

"Don't you want to know what I'm going to do?" Shadow asked, this time the sly smile on his face.

Clearly she didn't by her reaction. Cream desperately tried to break away from Shadow; punching him, scratching at his face, even biting his arm at one point. However, the hedgehog's grip remained and all he ever did was adjust his body position to avoid her futile attacks. Suddenly he pulled himself closer to her, wrapping her in his arms, their noses touching each other.

"Come on. Ask me again…" he taunted her but the rabbit wanted to be as far from him as possible.

Soon she began to cry in her helpless state…just what Shadow wanted. So he caressed her head, gently pulling the girl close and shushing her sobs.

"Shh, shh. It's ok." he whispered. "Not everything is what it seems…"

"Just…just go away! You can't hold me like this." her voice cracked in her tears.

Some more comforting motions from Shadow and then he looked into her hazel eyes. Those beautiful, innocent pair of hazels not knowing what love is…

Their lips touched gently at first, but then the hedgehog applied more pressure while a frightened Cream struggled to break free. She tried kicking him but it only worsened her plight. Shadow had stumbled from the hard kicks and soon they were on the ground, side by side, lips in a lock of eternity. Her muffled screams of panic and discomfort meant nothing to him…he knew what he was doing. Eventually they parted and Cream inhaled deeply before letting out a scream of agony. Though it nearly pierced his eardrums, Shadow only winced and smiled back her gently while she looked on with fear in return.

"Not everything is what it seems…" he repeated, though this time he seemed distant.

Quickly he pulled her close again but she fought back this time putting up her arms between them. She made a good struggle but again the hedgehog came out victorious and was able to constrain her close to him, her face buried in his chest. The girl writhed and squirmed while shouting muffled words and screams, all of which were ignored by the blissful hedgehog. He smiled…he smiled…

…

The clouds passed overhead but no birds chirped. Trees rustled but there was no wind. The grass was soft but there were no bugs. Cream laid close to him but there was no movement. There was no rising and lowering of her breathing chest. There was no hidden sobs of vulnerable fear. Slowly he loosened his grip upon the teen and she rolled away from him…her face still, eyes wide open and blank.

She was dead.

Carefully, he pulled his arm from underneath her and allowed her lifeless body to roll onto its back. The hedgehog sat up on his forearms staring over at Cream…he closed her eyes with two fingers and exhaled with relief. He was then on his back and staring at the sky. His eyes glazed over until his watery vision produced tears that streamed down the sides of his face.

"Not everything is what it seems." his voice was barely audible. "Perhaps I should stop dreaming and realize the truth about my life…and where it needs to end."

For a few more moments, he remained in the grass watching the clouds pass. Finally he was ready to move on. To where, he didn't know. Anywhere away from his current location was fine with him. He had to find Amy.

The hedgehog stood up and began to take a few steps forward…and then it hit. His legs became jelly, wobbling under his own weight. The inside of his head spun with the fury of a twister jumbling his thoughts and conscious. Soon his vision followed as well become muddy until he could stand no more. So Shadow allowed himself to fall back…back…back. The sky eventually becoming the only thing he saw as he fell, but his fall seemed to last for an eternity as his feet left the ground. The blue sky remained, clouds and all and Shadow's red scarf flew upwards in the wind holding onto him desperately. Wind rushed in and out of his ears and all he could think about was one thing.

"_Amy…bring me back to her._"

It was at that moment that the sky rushed from his vision, darkness taking its place but the wind remain and his scarf still flew. He wished harder and harder for Amy and finally…

A thud was heard. Never felt but certainly heard within his mind. One eye opened, then the next. The sky was still there.

Shadow shot up immediately and checked his surroundings. Dead grass, barren trees, dilapidated home, and the battle scars left behind by Cream's attack. Was he finally home? Was he finally out of that shitty yet enlightening dream? The hedgehog stood up dusting himself and his precious scarf. A voice ranged in his head.

"Shadow…Shadow…" the weakened female's voice begged.

His heart seemed to be affected as well for a hand reached up and grabbed the tuft of hair at his chest. The artery pounded wildly within him…Amy was in trouble. Shadow raced off away from his home and into the woods towards the town.

He was back in his world, back where he belonged and where he was most needed. That winged beast's reign of terror would come to an end, and Amy would be back in his arms where she belonged.


	21. Snowstorm's Arrival

Final Vision

Event 21: Snowstorm's Arrival  
"_I will not give up on him. I can not give up on him._"

However you are far removed from him.

"_We support each other, a tree and its branches._"

But broken the two of you are as nothing.

"_No amount of time can tear apart what we've built together. Through all of the blood, sweat, and tears we were able to construct a tower of strength._"

Yet it shows signs of crumbling and weakness. Who are you to say that it's indestructible?

"_I didn't._"

…Go on.

"_Nothing last forever. We are not promised another day, second, or breath. We are proud and haughty to walk upon this earth with such fearlessness of nonexistence, such to the point that we become blind of it. But to say that we are indestructible is the façade of a fool. As truthful as it is, it makes for an interesting paradox: the way we foolishly hide the truth is also the way we protect ourselves as well._"

From insanity? From self injury? You suggest that living like a thoughtless person is your safety net from falling into nonexistence?

"_If that's what it takes, then yes. It is as I said, I can not give up on him for I know that he will not give up on me. As stupid as we are seemingly throwing our lives away, it is how we survived throughout our ordeals…past and present._"

Hmm…you certainly have acquired a great inner strength throughout these ten years. Nonetheless, you are still physically weak when compared to me. Unlike Shadow, you lack the power to remain here in a physical manifestation so your death will be one less nuisance to me.

"_True, but he will be here as long as you are and will not fade until you do so. No matter how hard you try to separate yourself from him, you can not deny destiny. Together the two of your were born and so is how you will die. I am ready to except this possible fate of Shadow._"

…Insolence.

Gradually Amy regained her consciousness and became aware the suspension of her body though it was short lived. Immediately she could feel gravity pull her down, the wind traversing through the strands of her pink hair and suddenly…impact. She hit the rocky pavement of a street, her face in slight pain. Wiping off the crumbs of gravel from her face, the hedgehog pushed herself up to her hands and knees and shook off the dazed feeling roaming in her head. Her eyes opened to darkness, or at least a feigned darkness. She looked up and could see maybe ten feet of pavement ahead of her. Beyond that, the black fog obscured her view. She staggered to her feet and looked around her in the dark fog.

"_Where is he?_" she thought knowing that it was the work of Ergos.

Her head turned with every noise she heard. From one side to the next; she didn't let anything go without some kind of notice towards it. It was then when her ears picked up on a peculiar whisper in the wind. What it said was incomprehensible but it clearly wasn't a friendly voice. Gradually the whispers became clearer and clearer until she found herself listening to quite a sinister message.

"…_Death awaits…suffer you must…no mercy for the weak…_"

Immediately Amy whipped out her metal rod that extended out into her heavy-weighted hammer. The weapon dropped to the pavement loudly but Amy made sure her arms were ready to lift the device at a moments notice. The unsettling message filled the air until she was unsure of where its source was. Suddenly, the whispers died down but the young woman's instincts chimed in and she looked behind her just in time to see a red glow from within the fog. Fog particles were quickly parted as whipping flames of yellows, reds, and oranges forced their way through to the hedgehog. She dove to the ground, her hammer still in her hands and sweat already seeping out of her face. A shaking roar came from above and Amy rolled to her feet and ran from where she was just as something heavy slammed into the ground. She looked back to see a large figure standing in the fog.

"_It's him._" There was no doubt about it.

Ergos, though obscured by the fog, extended his wings and crouched over onto his hands. His red eyes pierced the fog and only increased Amy's courage against him causing her to lift her hammer, her muscles being pushed to their limits.

"Come at me…" she murmured though Ergos may have heard her.

He roared again and came charging at her and, for the first time in years, Amy had a clear glimpse of his reptile face and the incisors that occupied his mouth. Quickly she swung her hammer and made contact with Ergos. He reared back, a few of his teeth chipped, but returned with a poisonous claw heading for the young woman. The attack was noticed off to her right and thus she jumped back just as the scale covered limb swooshed by her and back to Ergos. She couldn't hesitate at this moment, it was possibly the only opening she had and so Amy took advantage of it and charged.

Her battle cry not only enabled her to lift her metallic weapon but also fostered up the necessary strength needed to take on the winged beast. Running blindly through dark fog, Amy's heart raced anticipating the form of Ergos appearing before her shortly…but something brought her journey to a complete halt. She lost her footing, tripping over something large that had evaded her vision. Her body hit the pavement; the fight within her fissured. The thudding noise of her hammer hitting the ground was followed by an even more sinister noise. A growl.

From above her, a large claw slammed down onto the hedgehog with intentions of crushing her. Her screams that filled the air died out quickly as oxygen escaped her lungs. Soon she was whittled down to a squeak and tears of pain as Ergos' claw continued its press.

"_Don't give up on him…he wouldn't give up on you…_"

…As soon as these thoughts passed through her mind, roars of pain came from the beast again. Immediately Amy's body was relieved of the pressure and she inhaled gratefully while pushing herself to her knees. Ergos was still roaring uncontrollably so the hedgehog took it upon herself to attack his figure which was only a few feet from her. Her metal hammer slammed into his foot grabbing his attention and suddenly his face was heading towards her. Dropping the hammer, Amy held out her hands in self defense and made contact with his skin. A sizzling noise was heard and again the monster was thrown back, now holding his face.

"What's going on?" Amy looked down at her hands.

Soon her answer came back to her in the form of heated words.

"That power! That cursed power within you!" Ergos growled back at her. "How?"

…_**I am here… You have taken care of him for me and for that I thank you.**_

"Who is that?" Amy searched around for the gentle voice that spoke to her.

_**I will lend you my strength in hopes of defeating the evil that destroyed me and everyone close to Shadow. Be strong…stand your ground.**_

Amy questioned the voice once more but it appeared to have left her with the instructions of "stand your ground".

"_Could it be…?_" A farfetched idea but possible in such a strange town.

As her eyes looked up for signs of the monster, she noticed that the dark fog was beginning to dissipate. More and more became visible and eventually she could see the afternoon sky…and a menacing figure looming over her. For the first time in a decade, Amy saw the beast's whole form in all of it's glory. Before, it was only at night and blended in well with the dark surroundings. However in the light, every fearsome detail could be seen; the blood stained claws, the millions of tiny scales that covered him, his muscular limbs, dripping incisors, bloodshot eyes, and awestruck wingspan that matched the length of two grown trees laid across the ground.

In between his large nostrils were two grayish handprints left by Amy, yet that injury seemed futile when compared the rest of the anger surging through every fiber of his body. She still felt some bravery but much of it fled when Ergos rid himself of his only cover. He crouched over, claws just feet from Amy, and breathed and arid breeze towards the hedgehog. Her lip trembled; she couldn't get near him now, not without losing an arm or half of her body.

"_He wouldn't give up on me…_" she kept telling herself. "_I know he's coming…I know he'll be here…I know…_"

All thoughts, movement, time, space, and every piece of the world that made it move froze. A wind of anticipation blew, overwhelming the atmosphere. Her green eyes looked off down the deserted road and could hear the faint sounds of his arrival. Her heart pounded with every _swish_ his shoes made. Her legs tingled in sync wit his muscles. When she breathed, he huffed, when her ears twitched, his fell flatter against his skull. The wind turned cold stinging her opened eyes, and snowflakes blew in from nothing.

He was here. The snowstorm had arrived to do away with the terror and bring justice.

Her eyes were blinded by the white wind and she could hear Ergos struggling against it as well. Sudden Amy felt herself being hoisted up into familiar arms and her carrier came to an abrupt stop. The snowstorm died down and the town was covered in a white powder. In the winter settings, her trembling breath urged him to pull her near. The sweet scent of her hair resting beneath his nose was inviting… and something else was there as well. Intangible but thriving within Amy. Ergos snapped at them again but Shadow had scooped up his love and dashed off down the snow covered road. The dragon wasted no time in giving chase and flew after them. Despite Shadow's speed, Ergos caught up easily and breathed out an astonishing flame. The explosion blew Shadow off his feet and Am out of his arms. He reached out for her in desperation but his efforts were futile. They separated, tumbling across the snow that had turned into slush from the fire.

Through strands of soaking wet hair, Amy watched as Shadow's body became trapped my Ergos' claw. She felt her hands and legs push her up and ran towards him. She wanted to help him, "fight by his side" as she had always told him in many ways before. That's all that mattered at this critical moment, fighting by his side and winning this drawn out battle. Suddenly, Shadow opened his eyes and they met with Amy's. Immediately she stopped running thinking that he still had some fight within him. However, the situation was more dire than she realized. It eluded her completely, the fact that she had stopped running because Ergos had a hold of her arm. The apparition was freed from the dragon's hold at the same time and rushed to try and save her. Upon seeing the panicked look in Shadow's eyes, all of the hope she had of fighting by his side vanished and suddenly she was terrified of dying.

"Save me…" her lips motioned and a tear fell from her eye.

Amy's frail body was tossed high into the air, her arm ripping from her torso. Blood sprinkled into Ergos' mouth as his head went up and trapped her in his jaws. Shadow's cries filled the air. A hand could be seen sandwiched between razor sharp white fangs. The dragon opened his mouth and inhaled to swallow Amy whole.

For a moment the world stopped and a million thoughts filled Shadow's head. His love had vanished before his eyes and, like so many before her, the only thing she left behind were sweet memories. He could stand for it no more. Innocent lives taken all because of _him_, dreams shattered all because of _him_, the pain that Shadow had to deal with throughout the years coming directly from _him_.

A violent wind of ice and snow surrounded Shadow. He sped off toward the reptile leaving behind the bloody appendage that had fallen next to him. His fist rocketed towards Ergos; the beast's head twisted and a sickening snap could be heard. Sticking out of his neck and almost piercing his skin was a neck bone yet he moved it back easily and smiled. Shadow tried again and sent large icicles towards his enemy. Nearly all of them hit their mark piercing the dragon's torso, face, wings, and anything in the open. But even that proved to be useless as he regenerated himself immediately afterwards.

"Care to try again?" he spoke.

So the futile attempts continued on with attack after attack. Shadow's powers caused destruction to the battlefield that he failed to realize in his blind fury. All the while the dragon laughed at every attack and eventually Shadow's undying fighting spirit gave way to fatigue. He was exhausted from his rage and knelt in the snowy debris before Ergos. The dragon shook his head ashamed of Shadow's weakness.

"I really thought that our final encounter would be a worthy fight. Instead all I get is second rate effort from you. Shame on you Shadow, Really."

The smaller half was too tired to respond. He wanted to rip that taunting tongue from the dragon's jaws.

"I suppose I should've expected as much. You've had short victories in the past but I always came out on top in the end. Farewell my weaker half."

Ergos was down on all fours opening his blood dripping mouth wide open for another meal. Suddenly he stopped short of the hedgehog. An upsetting feeling stirred his stomach. Followed by a piercing pain that forced him to keel over. Ergos' claws began to rip his stomach trying to get to the source, but the damage was already taking its toll. A small spec of gray appeared on his abdomen and was slowly spreading. The bigger the gray area grew, the more pain Ergos felt. His scales cracked with his sudden movements; something inside was killing him.

The dragon fell over and roared out the unbearable pain he felt. Ergos' eyes met with Shadow's and he reached out for the hedgehog but the small half was just out of reach. Desperation turned to failure as the dragon's body quickly began to die, his skin turning a dismal gray. His body cracked falling to pieces which then turned to dust. Shadow couldn't believe his eyes. His lifelong enemy crumbled away before him leaving behind a mountain of dust…and the love of his life was gone as well.

As much as he wanted to leave he couldn't. Physically, he was still too weak to even push himself to his feet and so he remained in the snow staring at the pile of dust. Even that became too much for him to bear knowing that Amy's remains was somewhere among the dust as well.

When his heart began to rip, Shadow mustered up whatever strength he could and began to crawl away, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly something in the corner of is eye caught his attention. Something hidden in the dust pile was moving. The hedgehog's ears perked and he found himself rushing to the pile and brushed away the dust. A maligned hand revealed itself grasping for air. His heart skipped a beat. Was this possible? She's supposed to be dead. Amy truly had a strong spirit and this was her reward after living through such an ordeal. Quickly, Shadow pulled Amy from Ergos' remains and, again, noticed the ethereal energy she gave off. However, she was a complete mess covered in blood and stomach residue which the dust clung to. Her perfect features were hideous and her right arm bled profusely causing her to fade in and out of consciousness. A broken hand reached up and touched Shadow's cheek. He cradled it being careful of the misshapen bones.

"Shadow…" Amy's eyes wandered to his.

He nodded and smiled.

"I heard her…I heard Maria's voice."

Shadow's eyes became alert and wondered if _that_ was the energy he felt.

"She said 'be strong' and 'stand your ground'. I took care of you for her…she was happy."

"Maria." Shadow mouthed the name and Amy smiled crookedly with the muscles that still worked.

So it was her after all, still watching over him like the sister she had always been. Amy's hand trembled against Shadow's face and her eyes began to roll back into her head.

"Amy!" Shadow said.

She looked at him against and strained a smile.

"We did it…together."

The apparition smiled.

"Shadow I…I…"

"I love you too." he finished for her. "I know. I--no. We both have always known."

A tear fell from her eye…she was happy, her love had been declared. With that, she allowed her worries to escape her, her pain to fade, and said farewell to dark feelings. Shadow's lips moved saying "goodbye", she no longer heard his voice. Everything was brightening, a light was shining into her eyes. She whited out and was grateful for the life she lived.


	22. Final End

Final Vision

Event 22: Final End  
The sun shone brightly from the sky, leaves blew across the yard, her hair flew in the wind, and her friend stared back at her with blank eyes.

"I…" Cream's mouth hung open.

"What?" Amy said cheerfully. "What is it?"

The teen was holding a bouquet of flowers in her hands but they quivered in fear. Her jaw shivered unable to speak the words she wanted to say, so Amy decided to help her friend.

"Is there something wrong Cream?"

The hedgehog took a step down from the veranda of the Victorian home. At the same time, Cream stepped back baffling Amy.

"What's gotten into you?" the hedgehog said getting frustrated.

"You don't even notice it do you?" the rabbit said.

"Notice what?"

There was an eerie stillness between them and Cream finally lowered the bouquet to her side.

"What season is it?" she said.

"Autumn of course." Amy felt chilly and pulled her jacket close to her.

"No it's spring. Well the beginning at least."

She was lost. Was her friend being serious or was she just playing around as usual?

"Is something going on Cream? Are you and Shadow playing some trick on me?"

It was all smiles for Amy who was willing to play with whatever act the teen was putting on…at least until she heard footsteps coming from behind her. It was Shadow. He briefly waved to Cream and didn't even break a smile to Amy.

"How do you feel?" he said to the pink hedgehog.

"Fine. Is there something going on?" Amy shivered slightly as she looked back and forth between the two.

"Hmm, I see."

He stepped down off the veranda and approached Cream.

"Now? Are you sure?" the girl asked in a low voice.

"She needs to know."

"Know what?" Amy joined them in the yard. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Both Shadow and Cream looked at Amy and somehow what they knew was fare more serious than she realized.

"The truth." Shadow said.

Immediately the wind picked up and swirled around them. Ice and snow joined in and eventually their surroundings vanished in the tiny snowstorm. Amy closed her eyes protecting them from the shards of ice that nicked her skin. Seconds later everything was calm and she opened her eyes. Her friends were still with her but they suddenly pointed behind her and the hedgehog's eyes followed. They were in the graveyard at the far end of town and before Amy stood an arch gravestone. Slowly she gravitated towards it and knelt in front of the structure to read the engraving. Shock pushed her away from the sight before her.

"Oh my god…" her voice trembled.

What was going on? What was her name doing on the gravestone? Had she really died? Was Shadow unable to save her after the end of their battle with Ergos? This had to be some cruel trick her friends were playing on her, that the gravestone was fake. The words trembled on her lips, she wanted to express her anger…but then a hand appeared on her shoulder. She looked to her right and Shadow was there staring at her grave.

"There was nothing I could do." he said. "You had lost too much blood and all I could to was watch."

"But why am I here?" she asked.

Shadow wrapped his arms around her lovingly and nudged his nose against her cheek.

" The bond we shared that connected our hearts…that attached you to me. It kept you here just as my attachment to my home kept me here."

She was at a lost for words because of the bittersweet truth before her. Losing her life but being by her love forever… At least that's how she wanted things to be from now on considering her current state. Amy held onto Shadow's arm and cried.

"Take me home." her voice whispered. "Take me home with you."

Gently flurries of snow enveloped the two and in seconds they were in the foyer of Shadow's home. Cream was nowhere to be seen but that was the least of Amy's worries. She just wanted to be cradled by her lover in hopes that it would calm the voice that shouted within her. As Amy continued to cry, Shadow removed his red scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around hers. The soft fibers of the fabric tickled her skin softly and that seemed to calm her.

"This…is a dream." she whispered as Shadow kissed her cheek. "It's all a dream."

There really was nothing Shadow could say. He couldn't even remember what he felt when he first realized that he was dead.

After some time had passed, they made their way up to Maria's room and Amy was laid on the bed. She hoped that she would wake up from the dream soon, but to no avail she was still cold. Shadow caressed her hair, combing his fingers through the delicate strands and in that moment, Amy began to wonder "why"? Why did it have to happen to her? Why on that day? What at that time? Just…why?

"_I knew I was taking a chance standing by his side. I knew that it would get dangerous. Still, why did I have to die? I shouldn't have…_"

Maybe it was because she cared too much for Shadow. At least that was her initial thought. Looking back on the times she spent with the dark hero she could finally see how often her life teetered on the edge of death and how foolish she was for not becoming fearful for her own safety. In fact all of her common sense seemed to have gone out the window every time she thought of Shadow…and the only reason she became that way was because she loved him.

"_Love_."

After having realized his feelings for her, Shadow felt happy briefly. He had also realized that once Ergos was gone, his home would be safe, and with his home safe he had no reason to remain in the world. Thus his time was running short now. He didn't know exactly when he would fade away. He had already accepted his fate and realized that staying around forever would be impossible without a reason tying him down to the world. A glance at Amy still lying on the bed and Shadow decided to enjoy these last moments with her.

"_She'll hate me for leaving but will have to go on without me._" he told himself.

He reached out towards her but she stirred and immediately he pulled his hand back. Amy sat up swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and faced her lover.

"So this is it?" she said.

"Yeah, nothing fancy about it. One day you're there and then…you're here ."

"I don't even remember dying at all… All I remember is you, and then a light."

"A memory burned into your mind. Better a pleasant one than something painful. Still, it's best to forget them once you're over here."

"On the other side…" Suddenly those words spoke volumes.

The silence that engulfed them was an unnecessary visitor, but neither of them objected to it. Amy tried to comprehend the weight of her situation while Shadow…he was still unsure of what could be said that was appropriate. They sat across from each other in discomfort until Shadow made the first move. He stood leaning in towards Amy whose ears folded back from her apprehensive feelings, though in truth she didn't mind his actions at all. They kissed, Shadow gently pushing against the female until they laid on the bed side by side, their lips still embraced. She didn't like the feeling of being dead and he didn't want a long and painful goodbye, so the intimacy was welcomed.

The young woman woke up sometime later. Shadow was no longer by her side and immediately her heart began to race. She left the room and searched the entire house but found no trace of him. Amy then went outside and found him there in the yard, his back towards her. She attempted to step down off the veranda but then his voice stopped her.

"It's finally here." he said. "It's a little hard to believe but it's here."

"Shadow…" Amy didn't like the tone of his voice.

"There isn't much time so I'll just say it. Do whatever you can do and regret as little as you can. This will happen to you too though I don't know when exactly. That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself. So until then, just spend your days with those you care for and take in any wisdom you gain from your experiences. I don't know how long you'll be here after I'm gone but know this…"

Shadow turned to her with the most benevolent smile she had ever seen on his face. Tears welled up in her eyes and she shook her head in utter denial.

"If there is another side after this, I'll be there waiting to take your hand."

Her body trembled because she didn't want it to end this way, and he saw the anger welling up inside of her.

"SHADOW!" Amy leapt off the veranda in hopes of stopping Shadow from leaving her.

The peaceful apparition turned away from her smiling and looked towards the sky. He stretched out his arms and a cold wind invaded the area swirling around the yard slowing Amy's advances. Quickly it picked up drowning out any cries she made towards him and forcing her to her knees, but it wasn't going to end this way. Not for her. She stood against the gale and stretched out a hand. Using all the strength in her body, she leapt out for Shadow in desperation but it was too late. His body shattered into gentle snow and Amy fell through landing face first in a small pile of the cold substance. The wind stopped, the sun shone, and there she was alone in the world with melting snow in her palms and his red scarf around her neck. She wept.

…

Stories were told throughout the town. Stories of a weeping woman's ghost wandering around the site of the burned down house in the forest. Few went near and those who did would hear her cries and maybe catch a glimpse of something red in the distance. Though her friend managed to distance herself from the town after the events, Amy could not. Rather, she wouldn't. Not until Shadow returned to her. Days, months, and even years passed. The town changed, the world changed, but her heart remained the same. Finally one day she accepted the truth of her reality and wandered away from the remains of the house. Through the forest she went and could no longer find the dead tree that Shadow had died at. Further and further she traveled until she came out on the other side. The brilliant sun shone down onto the lands that stretched out before her. Suddenly she remembered when she used to travel the world and decided that was how she would fade away from this existence. With the only remains of her lover around her neck, Amy traveled out to the lands beyond the horizon. Scarf blowing in the wind, her past far behind her.

The End

_Ok, I'm done with this series. No more killing Shadow…for now. See my profile page for progress on future stories._


End file.
